The World Health Organization is calling on everyone to "Know hepatitis - Act now" this World Hepatitis Day on July 28. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver and is often caused by a virus. The three most common viruses that cause viral hepatitis in the U.S. are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. [...]
Amal, age 17, Maricopa County The Office of Infectious Disease just concluded its fifth annual Healthy Swimming Contest . This year, 50 healthy swimming posters were submitted from Arizona kids ranging in ages from two to 17 years old. All posters submitted suggested ways to swim healthy and avoid getting a recreational water [...]
Ever wonder about the likely transmission pathway of Zika Virus, or maybe about the symptoms of Brucellosis? Now you can easily look up this information and more in our new mobile app, the AZ Infectious Disease Resource (IDAZ). The official launch of the app coincides with our annual Arizona Infectious Disease Exercise and Training (July [...]
Arizona uses a Certificate of Necessity process to license ambulance services. This process can be challenging for new applicants because it uses terminology and accounting practices that the person responsible for completing the application may not be familiar with. To help overcome that problem, our Bureau of EMS and Trauma System has begun posting important [...]
Our agency continues to measure what matters in an effort to improve our services to Arizonans and review these measurements on a routine basis to ensure we’re on track in achieving our mission. One critical component of the work we do here is providing education, recommendations, and guidance to the public, healthcare providers, and public [...]
Last summer Arizona had an outbreak of St. Louis encephalitis virus, which is similar to West Nile virus. Both are spread most commonly by the bite of an infected mosquito, but other possible routes of infection include organ transplants, blood transfusions, or needle sticks in laboratories. Public health was notified that one person in Arizona [...]
Data is an instrumental component of public health that helps us monitor population health, plan and evaluate interventions, and track priorities. One of our most valuable sources of public health data is the annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), which is a telephone survey that collects data from Arizona adults 18 and older. The BRFSS survey collects data related [...]
The purpose of the Arizona Health Improvement Plan (AzHIP) is to move the dial on important health outcomes and it is an important component of Public Health Accreditation. A lot has been going on behind the scenes to move us forward in the accreditation process. Below is an update of the work we have done [...]
In light of the recent tragedies occurring in the U.S. and around the world, there is help locally, if you need support. Mercy Maricopa, which oversees the crisis system in Maricopa County, has activated a dedicated 24/7 crisis line in response to the recent shootings. Crisis Response Network operates the line, 1-800-203-CARE (2273), and it’s [...]
Many Arizona residents live in food deserts, which are areas that lack healthy, affordable, good-quality food. Having access to nutritious food requires that food be available in the community and that households can afford it. In Arizona, twenty-one and a half percent of households with children are food insecure. Childhood food security and childhood obesity [...]
