Get Vaccinated Today and Follow Prevention Guidelines to Protect Against the Flu
Flu is now widespread in Arizona. As of this week, there have been 2,976 cases of flu reported compared to 347 for the same time period in 2016, which is a 758 percent increase in flu activity. This is the highest number of seasonal cases this early since influenza tests became reportable. During the past two seasons, Arizona did not [...]
Arizona Receives National Recognition Top Tier of State for Public Health Preparedness
I am proud to announce that Arizona is one of the top states in the nation for public health preparedness. The annual Ready or Not report from the Trust for America’s Health that was released on Dec. 19 grades all 50 states on a variety of criteria including available resources, policy environments, and healthcare systems. Arizona scored seven points on [...]
New Report Highlights Food Safety in Arizona
Food safety may not be something you think about everyday, but it is certainly on the minds of the ADHS Food Safety & Environmental Services Program and the County Environmental Health Departments. These are the programs and departments charged with preventing foodborne illness through the inspections their Registered Sanitarians and Sanitarian Aides conduct at over 34,000 food establishments statewide. These [...]
The Critical Role of Arizona Community Health Workers in Bringing Health & Wellness to Arizonans
Arizona has a strong history supporting, implementing and sustaining Community Health Workers (CHW). The Arizona Department of Health Services Community Health Worker Program, which operates under the auspices of our Bureau of Tobacco & Chronic Disease, is a core component in our commitment to reaching disparate and underserved populations, has been a critical partner supporting the expansion of CHW services, [...]
Displaying Data to Improve Health Outcomes
Publicly displaying vital public health information can help engage community partners in understanding emerging diseases of concern as well as identify whether public health interventions are improving the health of Arizonans. Our newly established Environmental Public Health Tracking Program furthers this strategy by distributing environmental health surveillance data to help public health practitioners, healthcare providers, community members, policy makers, and others make information-driven [...]
It’s Not Too Late to Get the Flu Shot
National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) was established in 2005 by the CDC to highlight the continuing need to vaccinate for influenza through the holiday season and beyond. This year, NIVW is being observed December 3 through 9. Influenza causes mild to severe illness, and even death. Every season, roughly 4,000 Arizonans are hospitalized and 700 die from influenza. Last season, [...]