Collecting, analyzing, and visualizing data promotes public health in Arizona
Public health data helps ADHS tell the public where disease is occurring and who is most affected. An example is high COVID-19 death rates among seniors compared to other age ranges in Arizona. This helps people make informed personal decisions on how best to conduct their activities. That’s why I'm pleased to highlight Susan Robinson, ADHS' Chief Business Intelligence Officer. [...]
Community Health Workers: Uniquely positioned to make communities healthier
No one knows a community better than the people who live there. Someone who has spent a lifetime in Tuba City, Seligman, or Yuma knows the people who live there, what makes the community unique, and what health care solutions are needed. That's the idea behind the Community Health Worker movement, which has roots in Arizona stretching more than 50 [...]
Watch young children for signs of RSV
This time of the year, many adults and children catch the common cold. Sometimes, what looks like a cold can actually be RSV, or Respiratory Syncytial Virus. Many people recover quickly from RSV in a week or two, but it can be potentially more serious for others such as infants and elderly individuals. Arizona is experiencing a higher-than-normal number of [...]
Guard against a potentially deadly amoeba in bodies of fresh water
As the swim season comes to a close, there is a tragic reminder about the dangers of a potentially deadly amoeba found in lakes, rivers, hot springs, and other bodies with warm water. A boy believed to have been exposed to Naegleria fowleri recently passed after swimming and diving in Kingman Wash on the Arizona side of Lake Mead. Naegleria [...]
Teal pumpkins promote safe spaces for kids with allergies
For most children, trick-or-treating is a fun way to dress in costumes and collect their favorite candy. But for children with food allergies, this weekend's festivities can present a tempting danger. The Teal Pumpkin Project is a simple way to make trick-or-treating safer and more inclusive for the one in 13 children living with food allergies – and the many [...]
The Unvape Generation keeps on growing
"I don't vape, because there's no point to it and I have better things to do with my life." That wisdom comes from Serenity, a pilot who is part of the Unvape Generation you'll meet at unvape.org. She joins other young people who, unafraid of a future without nicotine, share on the ADHS YouTube channel and in social media posts [...]