NEW YORK, NY, June 11, 2018 – The American Heart Association looks forward to reviewing the 2019 New York City budget, which was announced earlier this evening. The Association will analyze the final budget and hopes it prioritizes improved health outcomes for all New York City residents. The $89 billion should include funds to close the growing health disparities and build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.
Council Speaker Corey Johnson has described this budget as one that will, “Do the most amount of good for the most amount of people possible.” The Association supports and will continue to advocate for public policies that will help improve the cardiovascular health of all New Yorkers. A budget that prioritizes cardiovascular health must:
- Improve access to healthy foods and incentivize the purchase of fruits and vegetables via expansion of the NYC Health Bucks program.
- Ensure access to physical education in city schools, with a focus on those schools that are most underserved.
- Fund hypertension programs and their evaluation, focusing on addressing health equity and eliminating disparities.
- Create safer pedestrian pathways and protected bike lanes to promote improved equitable active transportation.
- Secure sustainable public funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
- Increase access to lifesaving automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in targeted areas of NYC as a means to improve access to all communities.