- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
Dalton (GA) – The North Georgia Health District is now accepting appointments for its new Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) program. The program is designed for people who are not HIV positive, but are at high risk of exposure to HIV and acquiring the infection.
PrEP consists of a single pill, containing two active medications, taken every day. This pill helps keep the virus from infecting an individual who is HIV negative but is exposed to HIV through sex or injection drug use. The pill can also be used as part of a treatment regimen for those who already are HIV positive.
PrEP is an HIV intervention tool and used as part of a comprehensive sexual plan. When used with condoms and other prevention methods, it provides the best defense against HIV infection. People who use PrEP must commit to taking the drug every day and seeing their health care provider for follow-up every three months.
To participate in the program, individuals should contact the North Georgia Health District PrEP Program at 706-281-2360 to schedule an appointment with the benefit coordinator. Clients will need proof of residency, proof of income and proof of insurance.
The clinic is located at 800 Professional Boulevard in Dalton, Georgia and is open Monday through Thursday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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Additional Information:
AID Atlanta HIV/STD INFO LINE: 1-800-551-2728 or 404-876-9944
PrEPLine: 1-855-448-7737
DPH PrEP Toolkit: dph ga prep toolkit
CDC PrEP fact sheet: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/prevention_prep_factsheet.pdf
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
North GA – The North Georgia Health District of the Georgia Department of Public Health is joining the statewide public health campaign in urging residents to clean up around their homes, their yards and their communities and discard unnecessary items that can hold water. TIP 'N TOSS after every rainfall to reduce the number of mosquitoes and prevent the spread of Zika virus in North Georgia.
Mosquitoes do not recognize property lines, so controlling their numbers has to be a collaborative effort among neighbors. Public health is increasing mosquito surveillance and educating residents, but the greatest impact will be when individuals take personal responsibility for their homes, yards and communities.
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
Dalton (GA) - Spring has sprung and residents should now spring into action to prepare for the potential weather hazards that often come with the season.
County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) officials want to reach all county residents any time emergency weather warnings must be issued. Therefore, as part of the local community preparedness activities of the annual FEMA America’s PrepareAthon! Campaign this year, Whitfield County EMA will conduct a PrepareAthon! Telethon on Wednesday, April 27 from 10 AM to 3 PM.
The telethon will focus on urging local residents to either register or update their existing contact information in the CodeRED© Mass Notification System so they will receive critical communications and timely severe weather notifications from public safety officials. County residents may call (706) 259-3730 or log onto http://www.whitfieldcountyga.com/ema/ema.htm.
WDEF News 12 will have live shots of telethon preparation early Wednesday morningon This Morning News, and North Georgia Radio Group’s Mixx 104.5 FM will feature the telethon on the air that day at 11:30 AM.
In addition to the telethon, there will be weather radio giveaways during a live remote on Mixx 104.5 FM on Thursday, April 28th from 4 PM to 6 PM at the Mack Gaston Community Center.
“It’s clear that the ability to receive timely, local weather warnings can be a crucial, life-saving measure,” said Amy Cooley of Whitfield County EMA. “There were 16,135 people who took part in our PrepareAthon! activities last year and they are now better prepared for disasters. We want all Whitfield County to be prepared so we encourage residents to help us beat that number this year.”
Between 1990 and 2014, Whitfield County experienced two tornadoes, 82 weather events involving high winds, nine floods, 14 flash floods, and 21 winter weather events that caused moderate to severe disruption and an estimated $6.5 million of property damage in the affected communities.
Whitfield County's PrepareAthon! is a campaign for action to increase community emergency preparedness and resilience through drills, group discussions, and exercises. The goal of Whitfield County's PrepareAthon! is simple: Build a more resilient community by increasing the number of individuals who understand which disasters could happen in their community, know what to do to be safe and mitigate damage, take action to increase their preparedness, and participate in community resilience planning.
We want to hear about your participation in Whitfield County's PrepareAthon!
You can register your participation in Whitfield County's PrepareAthon! as an individual or family, or on behalf of an organization, such as a workplace, school, or church by loging onto:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WhitfieldCountyPrepareAthonSpring2016
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