The holidays are a time for gathering with friends and family. Inevitably, this will also be a time when you may find yourself surrounded by lots and lots of food. In order to keep you and your loved ones healthy and avoid foodborne illness, let’s start with some basics: Wash your hands. Washing your hands [...]
For more than 40 years, the American Cancer Society has hosted the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November. The event is an opportunity for people who smoke to commit to healthy, smoke-free lives by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit or to quit smoking that day. [...]
Valley fever is a potentially debilitating and deadly respiratory disease caused by the Coccidioides fungus that affects thousands of Arizonans every year. Valley Fever Awareness Week (Nov. 9–17) was a success with social media messaging, promoting the poster contest, and launching a new data dashboard. Although Valley Fever Awareness Week is over, raising awareness of this [...]
Earlier this month, CDC released the 2018 National and State Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Progress Report based on National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) data. NHSN is the nation’s most widely used HAI surveillance system by facilities, states, regions, quality groups, and national public health agencies including CDC. This annual report provides an update on previous reports, [...]
Every year the March of Dimes releases grades based on the National Center for Health Statistics data to calculate preterm birth rates. Arizona received a “C+” grade in the 2019 Premature Birth Report Card, an improvement from last year’s report when Arizona received a “C” grade. The report further highlights disparities across racial and ethnic [...]
Loss of a woman during pregnancy, at delivery, or soon after delivery is devastating. Arizona has been making great strides this year in its efforts to tackle the rates of maternal morbidity and mortality throughout Arizona. One of those actions was the passage of Senate Bill 1040 that established an Advisory Committee on Maternal Fatalities [...]
Each year, we join the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other partners to promote awareness of lead poisoning. Our Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program got a head start on National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week by spending a morning at Phoenix [...]
International Infection Prevention Week occurs globally from October 13 - 19 to raise awareness of healthcare-associated infections. Healthcare-associated infections are infections people can get while receiving health care for another condition. This year’s theme is “Vaccines are Everybody’s Business” and highlights the important role that vaccines play in preventing infections from spreading and protecting public health. [...]
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) have surged for a fifth consecutive year, reaching an all-time high nationwide. What is most concerning is the rise in syphilis, which has led to multiple stillbirths and many more babies spending their first 10 days of their life hospitalized for syphilis treatment. Last year, Arizona reported 61 cases of syphilis [...]
Ja'Maryn H., 2018 winner Valley fever is one of the most commonly reported infectious diseases in Arizona, with over 7,000 cases reported to the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) this year. Still, most Arizonans do not know the symptoms of this debilitating and potentially deadly fungal infection, which include cough, fever, and [...]
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