Improving the health of Arizonans through family planning services & community programs
Programming for reproductive and sexual health improves the health of women of childbearing age before, during, and after pregnancy. An estimated 2 million unplanned pregnancies are prevented each year due to family planning services obtained through Title X, Medicaid, and other publicly funded programs. The ADHS Family Planning Program offers a statewide, clinic-based approach. Cost-effective comprehensive family planning and reproductive [...]
Bringing awareness to violence prevention to improve the safety of our communities
Public health draws on a science base that is multi-disciplinary. This allows us to gather knowledge from a broad range of disciplines including medicine, epidemiology, sociology, psychology, criminology, education, and economics. Coupled with a cross-sector approach, public health is poised to tackle violence prevention that strives to provide the maximum benefit for the largest number of people. Experiencing any forms [...]
Happy National Public Health Week! Recognizing the contributions of public health professionals.
National Public Health Week (NPHW) allows us to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation's health. For more than 25 years, the American Public Health Association (APHA) has served as the organizer of NPHW. Every year, APHA develops a national campaign to educate the public, policymakers and practitioners about issues related [...]
Working together to stop the spread of Candida auris in Arizona
A recent press release from CDC highlighted the increasing threat of Candida auris (C. auris) because it is often antimicrobial resistant (available treatments may not work), can cause severe disease, including death, and is spreading among healthcare facilities in the United States. Arizona identified its first clinical case of C. auris in 2020, and there have been 37 cases so [...]
Highlighting public health dietitians during National Nutrition Month
March has been celebrated as National Nutrition Month for 50 years by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists work in a variety of settings including health care, education, industry, and government. Public health nutrition is the application of nutrition and public health principles to design programs, systems, policies and environments that aim to improve or maintain the [...]
Getting screened is the best way to protect against colorectal cancer
Not long ago, colorectal cancer was thought to be a concern mostly for those age 50 and older. But with more cases of this deadly cancer being found among those in their 40s or younger, doctors nationwide recommend testing by age 45 or sooner for those with identified risk factors. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which is a good [...]