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| December 12, 2011- In This Issue |
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Home
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Positive Attitude About HIV |
Russian Delegation |
900K for Breast Cancer |
Obesity vs Flu Vaccines |
Holiday
Weight Gain |
Trouble
in Toyland |
HIV
and AIDS Education
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PHBRIEFS |
PHRECIPE |
PHTRAINING |
PHEVENTS
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PHNEWS
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PHPOLL
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Tiná Washington, Senior Peer
Advocate for the Coastal Health
District, accepts an award from
Sistas Organizing to Survive for the
part she played in organizing the
SPIRIT program.
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Eighteen years ago, Tiná Washington thought she
had dodged a bullet. After finding out that her
former fiancé was HIV positive, she got tested.
The test came back negative. Nine months after
that test, Tiná couldn't shake a cold and knew
something was wrong. She got tested again. This
time, the results changed her life.
"I tested positive but I didn't cry or break
down," she said. "I made a choice and I have to
deal with it. I have always been raised that
when there's a problem, you figure out how to
tackle it." 
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Leadership from Department of Public
Health and Department of Behavioral
Health and Developmental
Disabilities met with a delegation
of health professionals from Russia
to discuss social issues and
healthcare in the United States.
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Five health professionals from Russia met with
Department of Public Health (DPH) and Department
of Behavioral Health and Developmental
Disabilities (DBHDD) leadership on Tuesday,
December 6 to share their experiences with and
knowledge of child and maternal health
initiatives, emergency preparedness and
emergency response. Delegates met with J.
Patrick O'Neal, M.D., Director, Health
Protection, DPH; Betsy Kagey, PhD, Deputy
Director, Division of Emergency Preparedness and
Response, DPH; Brian C. Castrucci, Director,
Maternal and Child Health and WIC, DPH; Ryan
Deal, Director, Communications, DPH; and
Jeanette David, Disaster Mental Health Services
Coordinator, DBHDD.
The Russian delegates are taking part in the
congressionally-sponsored Open World Program,
which brings young political and civic leaders
from nine post-Soviet states to the United
States for short-term professional trips. Open
World's goals are to build mutual understanding
between the United States and participating
countries, to create a network of emerging
Eurasian leaders dedicated to effecting positive
change in their home countries, and to connect
these leaders with their American professional
colleagues.
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Georgia awarded nearly $900,000 for Breast Cancer Research and
Education by CDC
 The
Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Georgia
Center for Oncology Research and Education (Georgia CORE)
announced recently that Georgia is one of three states to
receive a cooperative agreement grant for $900,000. Over the
next three years, the grant from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) will address the needs of women
ages 18 to 49 at high risk for developing breast cancer.
Georgia now joins Michigan and Oregon in receiving the
funding to continue ongoing CDC-supported work in breast
cancer genomics. The funding was issued as part of the
federal Education Awareness Requires Learning Young (EARLY)
Act.
The Department will partner with Georgia CORE to implement
the Georgia Breast Cancer Genomics Education, Surveillance,
and Policy Program (GBCG ESP), allowing DPH to benefit from
the organization's ability to attract ongoing support and
resources to assure program sustainability beyond the years
of CDC funding.
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Study: Obesity limits effectiveness of flu vaccines
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Dr. Melinda Beck conducted research that
suggests that obesity might impair the human
body's ability to fight flu viruses.
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People carrying extra pounds may need extra protection from
influenza. New research from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill shows that obesity may make annual
flu shots less effective.
The findings, published online recently, in the
International Journal of Obesity, provide evidence
explaining a phenomenon that was noticed for the first time
during the 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak: that obesity is
associated with an impaired immune response to the influenza
vaccination in humans.
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A study suggested that many Americans appear
to only gain about one pound of body weight
during the holidays, but tend to not lose
that pound. Weight gain over time can
increase one's risk for heart disease,
diabetes and some cancers.
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During the holidays, magazines and newspapers are rich
with hints and tips to avoid the holiday weight gain.
Many articles claim that the average American will gain
more than five pounds between Thanksgiving and the New
Year!
According to our last PHPOLL, PHWEEK readers feel the
same way. "I would imagine that one can gain five to
seven over the holidays," wrote Sylvia Boykin, Vendor
Management Relations Manager for the Georgia WIC
program.
That's enough to make you reconsider dessert after your
holiday dinner. But, how bad are we really during the
holidays?
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Every year, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group
Education Fund finds new dangers on store shelves.
Last year alone, more than 250,000 kids went to the
ER with toy-related injuries, many of which could
have been avoided.
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Dangerous or toxic toys can still be found on America's store
shelves, according to U.S. Public Interest Research Group's 26th
annual
Trouble in Toyland report.
Recently U.S.PIRG, joined by Commissioner Robert Adler from the
Consumer Product Safety Commission and Ivan Frishberg, a parent,
released the report. It reveals the results of laboratory
testing on toys for lead and phthalates, both of which have been
proven to have serious adverse health impacts on the development
of young children. The survey also found toys that pose either
choking or noise hazards.
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Harold Katner, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.I.D.S.A.
from Mercer University discusses the origin
of HIV and AIDS at Valdosta State University
on World AIDS Day, December 1.
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While many people in South Georgia don't want to
acknowledge the numerous health problems we have, such
as diabetes and hypertension, educating the community
about HIV/AIDS can prove to be even more difficult.
With approximately 2,500 known cases of HIV/AIDS in
South Central Georgia, local public health officials
consider it necessary to better educate the community
about prevention and treatment of the disease. In order
to do that, South Health District's infectious disease
office along with Valdosta State University's health
promotions and student health office hosted a World AIDS
Day Dine and Discover event at Valdosta State University
on December 1.
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Holiday Giving
The holiday season is a great time to give back to your
community by providing donations or volunteering. During the
month of December, PHWEEK will provide a sampling of the
opportunities available to you. Also check out
www.handsonnetwork.org for more opportunities in your area.
Healthy Notions
Dec. 15, 19
Volunteers will greet customers, offer wrapping choices and
proceed to wrap books/gifts purchased at Barnes &
Noble-Perimeter, Dunwoody, GA. Visit volunteer match for more
information, click
here and
here.
Potter's House / Toys for Tots
Dec. 16 - Dec. 17
12 p.m. - 6 p.m. & 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., respectively
Volunteers will separate toys by age-appropriateness, fill
orders and give toys to families who have registered on the
internet.
More Info.
Midtown Assistance Center (MAC)
Dates and times flexible
Volunteers will be making "door snakes." Door snakes are used at
the base of windows and doors to keep warm in the winter as well
as helping clients to reduce utility bills. Door snakes can be
made offsite and brought to MAC location, or volunteers can
craft them at the MAC location.
Volunteer Info.
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Home
|
Positive Attitude About HIV |
Russian Delegation |
900K for Breast Cancer |
Obesity vs Flu Vaccines |
Holiday
Weight Gain |
Trouble
in Toyland |
HIV
and AIDS Education
|
PHBRIEFS |
PHRECIPE |
PHTRAINING |
PHEVENTS
|
PHNEWS
|
PHPOLL
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