Georgia Receives $3 Million to Address ADAP Wait-List

The State of Georgia has received $3 million in federal funds for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) to improve access to medications for those people living with HIV or AIDS. Georgia and other southeastern states received the second largest funding allocation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an application for assistance the state filed in December.

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is using the funds to help alleviate the state's ADAP wait-list, now at about 1,732 people. About $10,800 is required to treat each patient annually.


 

Board of Public Health Prepares For November Meeting
Meet the Board Here First In Photos 

Newly appointed by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, the nine members of the Board of Public Health have begun preparations for their meeting to be held on November 8. And anticipation is building.

"This Board is comprised of Georgia's best prepared, most knowledgeable and most accomplished professionals," said Brenda Fitzgerald, MD, Commissioner of the Department of Public Health (DPH). "Coming from diverse professional backgrounds, they truly understand the challenges before us."

Among the many considerations before the Board for determination will be meeting frequency, adoption of by-laws, and preparations to select a Board Chair.


 

Dobbins Hosts Mass Casualty Public Health Disaster Exercise

 

A Georgia State Defense Force doctor takes Rita Harrison's blood pressure while her guide dog sits-by patiently during a mass casualty exercise at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Oct. 8. The Cobb & Douglas Public Health office ran the mass casualty exercise using their Mobile Surge Unit to help prepare local civilian medical personnel for a mass casualty event. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Brad Fallin)

This was a test. This was only a test. A deadly influenza pandemic takes Georgia by storm.

Hundreds of thousands of people fall ill from a rogue virus with such speed and efficacy that area health clinics and hospitals are completely overwhelmed.

A state of emergency is declared. But as quickly as that haunting squelch and "Emergency Alert System" message booms across the airwaves, phone lines have lit up behind the scenes and Pam Blackwell's Emergency Preparedness and Response team is on the move.
 
 

Indian Creek Elementary School Celebrates International Walk to School Day

The morning of Wednesday, Oct. 5, a large number of children, parents and staff of Indian Creek Elementary School walked and biked to school.  Why?  It was International Walk to School Day.

The day's goal is to stress the importance of safe ways for children to walk or bike to and from school.  Safe routes involve plenty of good sidewalks and crosswalks, as well as drivers who observe the speed limit and stay alert.


 

DPH Partners with 91.9 FM WCLK to Promote Better Health to Wider Audiences  

For almost four decades, Jazz 91.9 FM WCLK listeners have enjoyed great music for the heart and soul, under the umbrella of the Jazz of the City.  These same listeners can now receive health information from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH).  Under a new partnership between the two agencies, public health has a new platform to reach diverse audiences in the African-American, Caribbean, and Hispanic communities.  WCLK Healthline is a new platform where the Department can provide subject matter experts to address health topics ranging from asthma, diabetes, tobacco use and cardiovascular disease.  Some of the program services will include WIC, Babies Can't Wait, family planning, and emergency preparedness. This new partnership provides free air-time for the Department.

"This is an amazing opportunity," said Brenda Fitzgerald, MD, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH). "I love the mix of great jazz music and pertinent health messages."


 

Foodborne Illness Cases Prompt Caution

Although more recent foodborne illnesses have been linked to fresh produce, only 12 percent of all foodborne illness can be attributed to fresh produce

According to a new study published by British medical researchers, as many as 20 percent of Americans, or 60 million people, are more vulnerable to foodborne illness. This group of more susceptible people includes the elderly, young children, pregnant women, alcoholics, diabetics, and people with diseases that affect the immune system, such as HIV/AIDS, cancer and multiple sclerosis.

 

With the recent outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe, foodborne illness has been reported more in the media. This past summer, Georgians were affected by papayas grown in Mexico that were associated with an outbreak of Salmonella Agona. There were 106 cases of Salmonella Agona nationwide, with 8 cases reported in Georgia. Last month, 130,000 pounds of ground beef from Kansas was recalled due to possible E. coli 0157:H7 contamination. While some of this meat was shipped to stores in Georgia, no cases of E. coli 0157:H7 associated with this recall were reported. 

 

Aromatase Inhibitor Reduces Breast Cancer Risk for Postmenopausal Women at High-Risk

A recent study showed that women who have been through menopause and have a high risk of breast cancer were less likely to develop the disease when they received an aromatase inhibitor (AI) called exemestane (Aromasin). An AI is a drug that reduces the amount of the hormone estrogen in a woman's body by stopping tissues and organs other than the ovaries from producing it. Previous research has shown that estrogen may help breast cancer grow. Drugs that block estrogen, such as tamoxifen (Nolvadex) and raloxifene (Evista), have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to lower the risk of breast cancer for women at high risk for the disease. However, there is a risk of rare but serious side effects, such as uterine cancer and blood clots, with these two drugs. Researchers designed this study to find another option to lower breast cancer risk with fewer side effects.

 

 

Emory University Releases Detailed County-Level HIV Data for Alabama and Georgia on AIDSVu
New data paints more comprehensive view of the HIV epidemic in the southeast U.S.

The Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University last week released county-level HIV prevalence data by sex, race/ethnicity and age groups for Georgia and Alabama on AIDSVu (www.AIDSVu.org). The addition of these data will help visitors better understand the HIV epidemic in the southeastern United States, one of the regions hardest hit by the epidemic.

AIDSVu is an interactive online map that provides the most detailed publicly available view of the impact of HIV across the United States by state, county and, in certain instances, zip code. The detailed data on AIDSVu pinpoint areas of the country where HIV prevalence rates are the highest, and where the needs for prevention, testing and treatment services are the most urgent.