50 Years of Newborn Screening
The first newborn screening test was developed in 1963 by Dr. Robert Guthrie to test for phenylketonuria, commonly known as PKU. Since then, scientists have developed more tests to screen newborns for a variety of severe conditions. This year, the nation celebrates 50 Years of Newborn Screening. The State of Arizona currently screens for 29 disorders, including hearing loss. The [...]
E-cigarettes and Teens
E-cigarettes have been a huge topic of discussion in the tobacco control industry and in public health over the past few years. While containing no actual tobacco, they do contain nicotine, are flavored and require the user to emulate the act of smoking. The CDC recently released a study showing that e-cigarette use has doubled among middle and high school [...]
ADHS Web Resource Showcases General Plans Around AZ
Where you live impacts your health. General and Comprehensive Plans guide the big picture vision for how the community should take shape for the future. We know that to achieve the goals we’ve set out in our Strategic Map, planning must include community health. Working collaboratively with others, we're finding ways to support healthy behavior, such as biking, walking, and having [...]
Schistosomiasis, a blood fluke
You may remember that at the end of May, Maricopa County Department of Public Health warned us about avoiding swimmer’s itch by not wading along the shorelines of some of our lakes. Swimmer’s itch or cercarial dermatitis, is a rash caused by a tiny parasitic flatworm of birds that can occur in lakes and ponds throughout Arizona. Waterfowl are the host [...]
High Five for Hand Washing
We know washing our hands is the best way to prevent spreading germs, but a new study shows that one in ten people don’t wash their hands at all after using the bathroom. Only 5% do it right. It’s a big deal when you consider that half of the foodborne illness outbreaks happen because people either don’t wash hands or don’t do it right. Chaparral [...]
CDC’s Smoking Cessation Campaign
The CDC just released a report for their national smoking cessation campaign launched in March 2012 called “Tips from former smokers.” Nationally, the ‘Tips’ campaign led to an estimated 1.6 million smokers attempting to quit with 100,000 likely quitting for good. The campaign directed callers to 1-800-QUIT-NOW. If you call from an Arizona zip code you are routed to the Arizona [...]