Every day, public health works to keep Arizonans healthy and well by promoting good choices like healthy eating, regular physical activity, smoking cessation, vaccinations, and injury prevention through seatbelt and helmet use. We know that these choices lead to good health, but we also know that it's not always easy—or even possible—to make these choices. Many factors, including something known as [...]
Childhood lead poisoning is considered the most preventable environmental disease among young children. Lead poisoning can negatively affect children’s intelligence, behavior, hearing, and development. The most common sources of elevated blood lead levels in Arizona are lead-based paint found in homes built before 1978, imported goods such as spices, makeups, and ceramic pottery, lead in [...]
Every year, Trust for America’s Health releases a report that shows their rankings of states’ public health preparedness. Like most years, this year’s report uses a combination of measures that may or may not be under the control of state health departments to develop their state rankings. Arizona shows up in the bottom tier of this year’s [...]
Public health professionals use data to drive decisions about public health priorities, the need for new programs or policies, and the effectiveness of public health intervention. However, without clear and accessible data, it’s difficult to make informed decisions. That’s why over the last several years, we’ve worked hard to improve our data displays to enhance [...]
Earlier this week, the State of Washington declared a public health emergency due to a measles outbreak that has infected nearly 40 people to date. Luckily, no Arizonans have been infected with measles associated with this outbreak, but the fact that measles outbreaks still occur underscores the importance of up-to-date vaccination for all children. ADHS [...]
We’ve just released our 2017 STD Annual Report, which shows that the number of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) reported in Arizona continues to increase. The latest data indicates a 16% increase in STDs from 2016 to 2017, with STDs in Arizona on the rise for over a decade. Over 54,000 STDs were reported in Arizona [...]
The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) launched a statewide media campaign this month to discourage minors from using e-cigarettes and other vaping devices. The Facts Over Flavor campaign provides kids with facts about vaping by educating teens on the presence of nicotine and other hazardous substances found in many flavored vaping liquids. Kids are [...]
