Chronic Disease in Delaware : A Legislative Perspective.

Authors

Jordan Myrick, Alexandra Wynn, Yendelela Cuffee, Jennifer A Horney

Published in

Delaware journal of public health. Volume 12. Issue 4. Pages 12-15. Epub Oct 26, 2026.

Abstract

The Delaware State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP), a multi-year health promotion plan spanning 2025 to 2028, aims to improve health outcomes in Delaware by setting and working toward specific goals, objectives, and strategies. A key priority of the SHIP is preventing chronic diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, by promoting healthy lifestyles and statewide access to preventive care. To support organizations in Delaware in designing and implementing strategies for chronic disease prevention and management, the SHIP team conducted a 2024-2026 legislative scan. Reviewing legislative activities is an essential step in developing public health programming informed by state policy and designed to address state priorities for health and wellness. For the legislative scan, the SHIP team reviewed legislation proposed by the 153rd Delaware General Assembly (2024-2026) on the Delaware General Assembly website and analyzed its alignment with the Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being Framework. While chronic disease was a focus for Delaware legislators between 2024 and 2026, legislation related to chronic disease primarily targeted cancer and diabetes, despite the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease across Delaware. Additionally, legislation related to chronic diseases consisted primarily of acts intended to raise awareness, such as health condition awareness days, rather than action-oriented acts that directly addressed disease risk factors. This commentary summarizes 2024-2026 legislation related to chronic disease and recommends that members of the 154th Delaware General Assembly place greater emphasis on cardiovascular disease, with a focus on risk factor reduction and the prioritization of action-oriented legislation.

PMID:
42948815
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 28 Oct 2026.

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