Working to achieve a goal of zero suicides
As we mark national Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, I’m highlighting the new suicide prevention website at azhealth.gov/PreventSuicide that connects people with information and help. Resources include: Details on groups that are disproportionately affected groups including LBGTQ, older adults, teenagers, veterans, American Indians, and those who have survived previous attempts at self harm Local and national resources for those in a [...]
Whether or not it’s called a pandemic, COVID-19 remains an active concern
Is the COVID-19 pandemic over? That question is getting a lot of attention this week, and it's natural to wonder where ADHS stands. In Arizona, however, we look past terminology to the impact of a virus on the health and wellness of our residents. There's no question that COVID-19 remains a state, national, and global problem. The impacts have been [...]
If your provider is waiting for Moderna Omicron booster doses, there’s plenty of Pfizer
I'm pleased that so many Arizonans – better than 50,000 as of last Wednesday – have received COVID-19 Omicron boosters targeting the subvariants that currently dominate. This is the best way to make sure your immune protection is up-to-date, especially if you are older or have a weakened immune system. One challenge being seen across the nation is a temporarily [...]
New HIV testing campaign emphasizes the power that comes with knowing your status
Knowing your HIV status gives you the power to live as your true self. Because when you know, you know. That's the focus of a new campaign available at azhealth.gov/WhenYouKnow and in a public service announcement that will air across Arizona. Getting tested is easy and is the only way to know for sure whether you have HIV. Our website [...]
Opioid Overdoses Surveillance Report available for 2020-2021
More than 2,000 Arizonans lost their lives to opioid overdoses in 2021, with fentanyl the most commonly reported drug in opioid overdoses. You'll find this and other key information in the just-published Opioid Overdoses Surveillance Report, 2020-2021. Producing this report is just one way ADHS continues to battle a crisis in which five Arizonans die on an average day from [...]
Pregnant? Protect your baby by not drinking alcohol
Those who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant share the goal of having a healthy baby. In addition to getting proper prenatal care, there's one more step prospective parents can take: Avoid drinking alcohol while pregnant or trying to become pregnant. September is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Month and Sept. 9 — the 9th day of the 9th month [...]