For the approximately 67,000 new parents in Arizona who breastfeed their babies, each journey is unique. Many of us think breastfeeding should be easy, and to some people it is, but to others it is a challenging time filled with questions and doubts. With that in mind, ADHS is marking the 31st annual World Breastfeeding [...]
“Show me the data.” That’s a phrase I hear quite a bit from ADHS epidemiologists, and with good reason: Numbers may be a little difficult to follow sometimes, but they tell a story and they don’t lie. That’s why our epidemiologists update a report every month showing COVID-19 outcomes by vaccination status, including the update [...]
Many people wrongly believe that because much of the housing in Arizona was built after lead-based paint was banned in 1978, lead poisoning is not a concern in our state. It's important to know there are several sources of lead in the environment beyond lead-based paint. Here’s a real-world example: A 1-year-old child in Arizona [...]
From a public health perspective, it matters that 9,562 people live in Greenlee County, and that 1 in every 5 Arizonans lives in an unincorporated area. It’s important that health leaders know how many people in Yavapai County are 50 or older, and what the ethnic makeup is for Gila County. That’s why it’s so [...]
The Arizona Biomedical Research Centre (ABRC) within ADHS was created to use tobacco taxes and Arizona State Lottery proceeds to identify and support innovative biomedical research that improves the health of all Arizonans. Its outreach includes workshops and other educational activities across Arizona. For the seventh year, ARBC this summer supported an educational series to [...]
Most Arizonans, especially those who have lived in our beautiful state for more than one summer, already know the precautions when temperatures are extreme, such as drinking plenty of water and protecting yourself from the sun. Knowing all of that, anyone who ventures outside at this time of the year still faces the risk of [...]
COVID-19 has been especially dangerous for older people throughout the pandemic, but data on the current increase in cases provides even more reason for those in this age group to make sure their vaccines are up to date. Compared to the winter surge driven by the Omicron variant, Arizona has since February seen a greater [...]
Community levels from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have moved up and down in many Arizona counties over the past few weeks. The latest CDC update has 10 counties, including Maricopa, with high COVID-19 community levels. This means masks are recommended for public indoor settings. The other counties with high COVID-19 community [...]
This is National Tracking Awareness Week, which highlights the work of environmental public health tracking programs in Arizona and elsewhere. Tracking efforts include monitoring community health, identifying communities at risk, supporting epidemiological studies, educating the community, informing local planners, and providing input to health policy decisions. That’s no small task, and it’s a big part [...]
It should go without saying that during the hottest time of the year, in one of the hottest states in the country, it’s important to stay hydrated. But how much water and other fluids do you need when temperatures are extreme? The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined an adequate daily fluid [...]
