The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is intensifying its commitment to community health through the launch of “Healthy Faith Partnerships,” a comprehensive outreach effort designed to deepen and expand its decades-long collaboration with faith-based organizations across the state.
For many years, the DPH and faith communities have successfully teamed up to tackle crucial public health issues, including chronic diseases, tobacco cessation, the Zika virus, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing the invaluable role that churches, mosques, temples, synagogues, and other places of worship play in supporting the holistic well-being—spiritual, physical, and mental—of their members and local communities, the DPH sees an opportunity for even greater impact.
Addressing Critical Health Needs
The need for this intensified collaboration is highlighted by ongoing concerns about critical public health issues in South Carolina, such as:
- Maternal and infant health
- Chronic diseases
- Persistent health disparities
DPH officials believe that Healthy Faith Partnerships is a key part of the solution, focusing on leveraging the unique trust and reach of faith organizations to make the state healthier.
The Call to Action: Healthy Faith Partnerships Survey
To kick off this important initiative, the DPH is calling on leaders of every faith-based organization in South Carolina to participate in the Healthy Faith Partnerships Survey.
- Purpose: The survey is designed to help DPH understand the unique needs of the organizations’ membership and local communities. The results will directly guide the DPH in creating targeted support and resources for faith-based partners that can, in turn, help improve people’s health.
- Deadline: The survey is open now and will remain available through December 31, 2025.
- Participation: All faith-based organizations are strongly encouraged to take the short, 10-minute survey.
To provide input on how DPH can support your organization’s health efforts, please take the 10-minute survey.
Printed surveys are also available upon request. To receive a printed copy, leaders can send their request and mailing address to [email protected].
Making South Carolina Healthier Together
Improving and forming new partnerships is a central strategy for the DPH. While the Department is the lead public health agency, it acknowledges the reality that it cannot improve health alone. A truly healthy South Carolina requires collaboration from every sector, and faith-based organizations are a foundational partner in this endeavor.
Healthy Faith Partnerships is a formal recognition of the generational contributions of these organizations and a commitment to ensuring their ongoing positive influence is maximized in the collective effort to enhance the health of all South Carolinians.
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