- Written by Raymond King, District Director of Environmental Health
- Category: Media Releases
Recently, thousands of passengers aboard a pleasure cruise ship were sickened with a stomach virus transmitted through their foods. While not all such outbreaks can be stopped, there is a public health professional dedicated to protecting you and your family from these and many other types of diseases.
As Earth Day approaches on April 22, the North Georgia Health District and health departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield Counties celebrate the positive impact environmental health specialists have on our daily lives.
What if no one inspected the restaurants where your family dines? Or, imagine if no one inspected and sampled the pool where your children swim. Where would you go with a complaint about an environmental health or safety hazard? What if your child was found to have elevated levels of lead? Who makes sure your septic system is properly sized and installed? These are only some of the services provided by your local public health environmental specialists. They are part of your county health department but are the unseen professionals making your world a healthier and safer place to live and work. Their primary task is to prevent diseases and conditions that could affect your health and ensure a safe and healthy environment through education, policy development, and regulation.
- Hits: 4798
- Written by Jennifer King, District Public Inforamtion Officer and Risk Communicator
- Category: Media Releases
Dalton, (GA) – National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is April 20 - 27, 2013. The North Georgia Health District (NGHD), part of the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), urges residents in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield Counties to remember their little ones by speaking with a healthcare provider or doctor to make sure their babies are up-to-date on their vaccinations.
“Young children need champions in their lives to keep them protected,” said Marie Smith, district immunization and child health coordinator. “Parents think of car seats, safety locks, baby gates and external ways to keep our babies safe, but forget that one of the best ways to protect our children is to make sure they have all of their vaccinations.”
Originally recognized in 1994, NIIW provides an invaluable opportunity for our community to remind people how important it is for children to be vaccinated. It is a call to action for parents, caregivers and healthcare providers to ensure that infants are fully vaccinated against 14 vaccine-preventable diseases.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
*Two doses given at least four weeks apart are recommended for children aged 6 months through 8 years of age who are getting a flu vaccine for the first time and for some other children in this age group.
§Two doses of HepA vaccine are needed for lasting protection. The first dose of HepA vaccine should be given between 12 months and 23 months of age. The second dose should be given 6 to 18 months later. HepA vaccination may be given to any child 12 months and older to protect against HepA. Children and adolescents, who did not receive the HepA vaccine and are at high risk, should be vaccinated against HepA.
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- Written by Jennifer King, District Public Information Officer and Risk Communicator
- Category: Media Releases
April is STD Awareness Month, a time to get yourself tested for STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), and it's time for people both young and old to understand the importance of getting tested.
Some of the most common STDs are chlamydia, herpes and gonorrhoea. Around 3 million new cases of chlamydia are reported each year, with adolescent women being the most commonly affected.
But STDs like chlamydia are passed through unprotected sex, and can often be prevented by using condoms.
While chlamydia can be treated with the use of antibiotics, STDs like HIV/AIDS are for life and will require continual treatment.
It is thought 1 in 5 Americans living with HIV don’t know they have it, and that’s why it’s so important to know early HIV symptoms and get tested.
At the STD Awareness Month website there is a whole host of resources to provide clinics with posters and leaflets that will give patients all the information they need, from ongoing HIV research to the benefits of condoms.
And at the It's your sex life website you can find out everything you need to know about STDs, condoms and the dangers of unprotected sex.
Both websites will give you the facts and clear up any questions you might have. But of course, there is no better time to visit your healthcare provider or local health department and get yourself tested, so get checked today. Why not go to the link below and find out by entering your ZIP code where you can access your nearest HIV or STD testing locations? Log on today to http://www.national-awareness-days.com/std-awareness-month.html!
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- Written by Jennifer King, District Public Information Officer and Risk Communicator
- Category: Public Service Announcements
National Public Health Week's theme for Friday is Empowering A Healthy Community. It's impossible to disconnect our individual health from our community's health. When it comes to good health, a rising tide lifts all boats. And public health systems work to carefully monitor that tide, pinpointing choppy waters and struggling vessels and taking action to ensure that all boats have an opportunity to sail smoothly to healthier destinations.
Resilient, well-supported public health systems are critical to our nation's health and future. They maintain the health victories we've accomplished so far, such as dramatic reductions in tobacco use, and are essential to confronting today's big problems, such as rising chronic disease rates. We also need public health to monitor and protect us from emerging health threats, keep vaccine-preventable diseases at bay, provide life-saving services for vulnerable populations and so much more.
Just as important, we need public health's unique ability to rally communities around the many social determinants that shape people's health. The future of health is empowering communities with the tools, knowledge, resources and opportunities to make lasting change. Learn more at http://www.nphw.org/tools-and-tips/themes/empowering-a-healthy-community.
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