The World Health Organization is highlighting how tobacco threatens the development of nations worldwide, and is calling on governments to implement strong tobacco control measures. These include banning marketing and advertising of tobacco, promoting plain packaging of tobacco products, raising excise taxes, and making indoor public places and workplaces smoke-free.

Tobacco’s health and economic costs

• Tobacco use kills more than 7 million people every year and costs households and governments over 1.4 trillion US dollars through healthcare cost and lost productivity.
• All countries have committed to the2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which aims to strengthen universal peace and eradicate poverty. Key elements of this agenda include implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and by 2030 reducing by one third premature death from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) related to tobacco use, including heart and lung diseases, cancer, and diabetes.

Tobacco scars the environment

• Tobacco waste contains over 7000 toxic chemicals that poison the environment, including human carcinogens.
• Tobacco smoke emissions contribute thousands of tons of human carcinogens, toxicants, and greenhouse gases to the environment. And tobacco waste is the largest type of litter by count globally.
• Up to 10 billion of the 15 billion cigarettes sold daily are disposed into the environment.
• Cigarette butts account for 30–40% of all items collected in coastal and urban clean-ups.

Tobacco threatens women, children, and livelihood

• Many studies have shown that in the poorest households, spending on tobacco products often represents more than 10% of total household expenditure – meaning less money for food, education, and healthcare.
• Women: 60%–70% of tobacco farm workers are women, putting them in close contact with often hazardous chemicals.
• Children and education: Tobacco farming stops children attending school. 10%–14% of children from tobacco-growing families miss class because of working in tobacco fields.
• Health: Tobacco contributes to 16% of all noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) deaths.

Taxation: a powerful tobacco control tool                           

• Governments collect nearly US$ 270 billion in tobacco excise tax revenues each year, but this could increase by over 50%, generating an additional US$ 141 billion, simply from raising taxes on cigarettes by just US$ 0.80 per pack (equivalent to one international dollar) in all countries.
• Increased tobacco taxation revenues will strengthen domestic resource mobilization, creating the fiscal space needed for countries to meet development priorities under the 2030 Agenda.

Helpful Links:

• News Release World No Tobacco Day
• Tobacco FactSheet
• Take the quiz! How much do you know about Tobacco’s impact?

Information provided by World Health Organization

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay informed about World NO Tobacco Day!

Reason One:  Illnesses caused by the germs we carry

CDC reports the microscopic parasite known as Cryptospoidum or “Crypto” has caused an increasing number of healthy adults and children to become incredibly sick in recent years. While chlorine can kill most germs within minutes, crypto can survive for more than 1 week at the recommended chlorine concentrations typically required by state and local health departments. Crypto comes from diarrheal incidents in the water we share. Which is why precautions should be taken when swimming in pools or playing in water parks.

Strokes to Take:

• Stay out of water if you have diarrhea
• Shower before and after using the pool
• Don’t pee or poop in the water
• Don’t swallow the water
• Every Hour-everyone out
  • Take kids on bathroom breaks
  • Check diapers and change them in a bathroom or diaper changing area — not pool side–to keep germs away from the pool

Reason Two: Drowning

Every day, two children less than 14 years old die from drowning. Drowning is a leading cause of injury death for children ages 1-4 years old. More than half of drowning victims treated in Emergency Departments need further hospitalization or care. In some cases, drowning can cause severe brain damage that could result in memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functioning.

Strokes to Take:

• Make sure everyone knows how to swim
• Use life jackets appropriately
• Provide continuous, attentive supervision close to swimmers
• Know CPR
• Prevent access to water when pools are not in use
  • Install and maintain barriers like 4-sided fencing and weight bearing pool covers
  • Use locks/alarms for windows and doors

Continue reading →

GNR Health takes social media to a whole new level. Ever heard of thunderclap? It’s a new crowdsourcing platform that’s been used by United Nations, the White House, and Beyoncé. It’s an online tool that posts a social media message on behalf of you or your organization on a specific time and day—think hundreds of different individuals or organizations posting a similar message at the exact same time— that’s a lot of people seeing the message.

This year the Centers of Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) is using Thunderclap to spread awareness and increase testing for Hepatitis. Join us on May 19^th, 2017 at 12:00 PM EDT/9:00 AM PDT to support Hepatitis Awareness Month and Hepatitis Testing Day. Supporters can sign up in advance using their Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr accounts for a one time post that will automatically be sent on May 19^th. Visit http://thndr.me/UtWAFY to sign up and help spread the word to your members and followers.

And more importantly, if you think that you or someone you love could have Hepatitis, please visit one of our centers to get tested. We also offer Hepatitis A or Hepatitis B vaccine to prevent it!

To learn more about Hepatitis and the populations it affects, check out the CDC’s Hepatitis Resources website, follow GNR Health on Twitter and Facebook to see how we’re supporting the CDC’s Know More Hepatitis and Know Hepatitis B campaigns.

Helpful Links

• #HepAware Thunderclap
• GNR Health Centers
• Know More Hepatitis
• Know Hepatitis B

National Women’s Health Week is an observance led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health. The goal is to empower women to make their health a priority. The week also serves as a time to encourage women to take steps to improve their health. The 18th annual National Women’s Health Week kicks off on Mother’s Day, May 14, and is celebrated through May 20, 2017.

What steps can I take for better health?

To improve your physical and mental health, you can:

• Visit a doctor or nurse for a well-woman visit (checkup) and preventive screenings.
• Get active.
• Eat healthy.
• Pay attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress.
• Avoid unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, texting while driving, and not wearing a seatbelt or bicycle helmet.

Find out what additional steps you can take based on your age.

How can I participate in National Women’s Health Week?

The Office on Women’s Health invites women across the country to:

• Spread the word through social media with our easy-to-use resources. Use the #NWHW hashtag.
• Join the National Women’s Health Week Thunderclap(link is external).
• Take the National Women’s Health Week quiz to learn about your health style.
• Organize events or activities.
• Learn what steps you should take for good health based on your age.

For more information about National Women’s Health Week, visit www.womenshealth.gov/nwhw. If you are interested Women’s Health services provided at the Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments, visit https://www.gnrhealth.com/services/clinical-services/womens-services

Information provided by Womenshealth.gov

This week, May 7^th – 13^th, is your time to prepare for a potential land-falling tropical storm or hurricane. It only takes one storm to change your life and community. Tropical cyclones are among nature’s most powerful and destructive phenomena. If you live in an area prone to tropical cyclones, you need to be prepared. Even areas well away from the coastline can be threatened by dangerous flooding, destructive winds, and tornadoes from these storms. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to learn daily tips to prepare for hurricanes. Share these with your friends and family to ensure that they’re prepared as well. Also be sure to download the FEMA app to receive safety alerts, tips, and easily find shelter when disaster strikes. Continue reading →

During the nursing graduation pinning ceremony, students take the Florence Nightingale pledge: “I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.”

During National Nurses Week, GNR Health, would like to extend special thanks to our nurses for honoring this oath. Thank you for all that you do! As you continue to provide the highest level of quality care to your patients. You deserve special recognition for your efforts in delivering compassionate care while embodying the principles of ethical practice in your profession.

The American Nurses Association has designated 2017 as the “Year of the Healthy Nurse.” Join us during National Nurses Week, May 6–12, as we explore this year’s theme, “Nursing: the Balance of Mind, Body, and Spirit.” It’s all about celebrating nurses who lead the charge for health and wellness. On May 10^th , Wednesday, at 1:00 PM EDT, there will be a free webinar on “A Nurse’s Guide to Preventing Compassion Fatigue, Moral Distress, and Burnout” For those interested in learning the balance of mind, body, and spirit, be sure to sign up for the Webinar by May 9^th, Tuesday, at 7:00 PM EDT.

Helpful Links

• Register for Free Webinar by May 9^th
• National Nurses Week History
• Florence Nightingale Pledge

Information provided by the American Nurses Association

Mother and Daughter — Image by © Brooke Fasani/Corbis

Lawrenceville, Ga. – Immunization is a shared responsibility. Vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death. Vaccines not only help protect our children, but can also help protect entire communities by preventing and reducing the spread of infectious diseases. National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is April 22 – April 29, 2017, and the Gwinnett, Newton, & Rockdale County Health Departments (GNR Health Departments) urges Georgians to speak with a health care provider or doctor to make sure their infants are up-to-date on vaccinations.

“One of the best ways to protect our children is to make sure they are up-to-date on their vaccinations, said GNR Health Departments. An equally important way to protect our children is to ensure families and friends are current on their vaccinations to protect the little ones.”

NIIW is a call to action for parents, caregivers and health care providers to ensure that infants are fully vaccinated against 14 vaccine-preventable diseases. Immunization is a shared responsibility.

For children who are underinsured or whose parents/guardians may not be able to afford vaccines, there is an assistance program called Vaccines for Children (VFC), which provides eligible children with vaccines according to the recommended immunization schedule, at no cost for the vaccines. This program has contributed directly to a substantial increase in childhood immunization coverage levels, making a significant contribution to the elimination of disparities in vaccination coverage among young children.

According to the CDC, the United States currently has the safest, most effective vaccine supply in its history. Scientists, doctors, and health care professionals give vaccines to children only after long and careful review. The disease-prevention benefits of getting vaccines are much greater than the possible side effects for most children.

For more information on vaccinations, visit http://dph.georgia.gov/immunization-section.

###

More helpful links:

Children Immunizations Schedule:

• English Version
• Spanish Version

Information provided by the Georgia Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

April 10^th is National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Greater Than Aids and #endHIV bring you HIV BEATS, an upbeat and informative new series, made in collaboration with YouTube and featuring top social media influencers Todrick Hall, Bob the Drag Queen, Davey Wavey, Zackary Drucker, Catrific, and Amber’s Closet. The campaign connects with our youth about game-changing advances in HIV prevention, testing and treatment.

Be sure to access these short videos at: https://www.greaterthan.org/hivbeats/

Helpful Links:

• Things You Can Do
• Know the Facts
• Know the Stats

Information provided by Greater Than Aids & the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

Continued focus on Zika prevention needed

Atlanta, Georgia (April 4, 2017) – Of the 250 pregnant women who had confirmed Zika infection in 2016, 24 – or about 1 in 10 of them – had a fetus or baby with Zika-related birth defects, according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This report is the first to provide the analysis of a subgroup of pregnant women in the U.S. with clear, confirmed test results of Zika virus infection. Continue reading →

According to the American Public Health Association, “Public Health promotes and protects the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play.” This means public health is a part of our daily lives whether we realize it or not. From the first responders to sanitarians, most people have been affected by works of Public Health. Here at GNR Health Departments, we are proud to observe National Public Health Week (NPHW)!

NPHW celebrates all areas of public health through the power of prevention, advocating for health and fair policies, and sharing strategies for successful partnerships. Some of the ways NPHW encourages communities to get involved is through the Generation Public Health Movement, the 1 Billion Steps challenge, and local activities.

This year NPHW promotes the Generation Public Health movement, where people who are passionate about better health in their communities can come together to create the healthiest nation in one generation!  Building a nation of safe communities, helping all Americans achieve at least a high school education, and providing quality of health care for everyone are just a few things that the Generation Public Health movement has been working on in the past year. Click on the Generation Pubic Health link below to learn more about their work, movement, partners and how you can get involved.

Another way to create a healthy nation is to take steps…literally. NPHW encourages communities to walk together and achieve 1 billion steps together by the end of this week.  This 1 Billion Steps Challenge started back in January as a way to encourage communities from all walks of life to come together and take a walk. Be sure to check out the American Public Health Association’s webpage to get involved in this easy and fun challenge. If you need more steps for the challenge or simply want to enjoy a nice walk, be sure to register for the Walk the Talk event on Saturday April 8^th, 2017 from 9:00 AM- 10:00 AM at George Pierce Park located at 55 Buford Hwy NE, Suwanee, GA 30024. During this walk, you can chat and exercise with healthcare professionals from Salude and learn more about staying active, eating healthy, and being positive.

Helpful Links

• National Public Health Week Brochure
• What is Public Health?
• Generation Public Health
• 1 Billion Steps Challenge
• Live Healthy Gwinnett

Information provided by American Public Health Association, National Public Health Week Organization, and Live Healthy Gwinnett