Introduction

The purpose of this preliminary report is to solicit public review and comment on the Hawai`i health objectives for the year 2000 -- Healthy Hawai`i 2000. We also request your involvement to help achieve these objectives.

Healthy Hawai`i 2000, like its national counterpart Healthy People 2000, focuses existing knowledge, resources, and commitment to prevent premature death, needless disease and disability.

This report presents the available data in reference to the locally chosen objectives. Healthy Hawai`i 2000 emphasizes the use of data for planning, decision making, and evaluation.

The objectives of this book are to:

1. create a starting point for stakeholders (government, community, business, others) to work together to reach consensus on health objectives and plan coordinated efforts to achieve them for the state,
2. provide national and Hawai`i baseline data related to the Hawai`i objectives for comparison,
3. solicit input from the community about the objectives,
4. provide initial outcome measurements ("benchmarks") related to health goals, and
5. provide information and support to empower stakeholders to take actions to improve the state's health quality and to establish benchmarks by which to measure progress.

The executive summary which follows lists the Healthy Hawai`i 2000 objectives, the Hawai`i health status indicators for each objective, Hawai`i baseline data (1990 where available), and a comparison of Hawai`i's baseline data to the national objectives.

Please review the sections that pertain to your interests and expertise and to your organization's mission. The other sections of the book are available to you as reference when needed. We hope that you find the material valuable. Please join in this statewide effort, in any way you can, to improve the health of Hawai`i‘s people.