Annual State-by-State Report on Public Health Preparedness
Every year, Trust for America’s Health releases a report that shows their rankings of states’ public health preparedness. Like most years, this year’s report uses a combination of measures that may or may not be under the control of state health departments to develop their state rankings. Arizona shows up in the bottom tier of this year’s report, although the report highlights [...]
Sharing Public Health Data in New Ways
Public health professionals use data to drive decisions about public health priorities, the need for new programs or policies, and the effectiveness of public health intervention. However, without clear and accessible data, it’s difficult to make informed decisions. That’s why over the last several years, we’ve worked hard to improve our data displays to enhance the clarity of the data [...]
Measles outbreaks highlight the importance of vaccination
Earlier this week, the State of Washington declared a public health emergency due to a measles outbreak that has infected nearly 40 people to date. Luckily, no Arizonans have been infected with measles associated with this outbreak, but the fact that measles outbreaks still occur underscores the importance of up-to-date vaccination for all children. ADHS strongly supports vaccination as the [...]
STDs are on the rise in Arizona
We’ve just released our 2017 STD Annual Report, which shows that the number of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) reported in Arizona continues to increase. The latest data indicates a 16% increase in STDs from 2016 to 2017, with STDs in Arizona on the rise for over a decade. Over 54,000 STDs were reported in Arizona in 2017, including cases of [...]
Arizona’s Youth Vape Campaign Launches
The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) launched a statewide media campaign this month to discourage minors from using e-cigarettes and other vaping devices. The Facts Over Flavor campaign provides kids with facts about vaping by educating teens on the presence of nicotine and other hazardous substances found in many flavored vaping liquids. Kids are also warned of the health [...]
Suicide Rates Increasing in Arizona
The Arizona Department of Health Services just released a report on suicides and self-inflicted injuries in Arizona over the last decade, based on information in death certificate and hospital discharge databases. Understanding suicide rates over time gives our communities and partners information about populations to target for intervention. Reducing suicide is one of the leading health priorities in the Arizona Health Improvement Plan. Unfortunately, [...]