Press Releases
Year
July 28th is Recognized as World Hepatitis Day
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28, 2011
Contact
Rachella Thompson, CD Investigator
(217) 531-5361
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
July 28th is Recognized as World Hepatitis Day
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Honors Today as World Hepatitis Day
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) honors July 28th as World Hepatitis Day to raise awareness of hepatitis B and hepatitis C. World Hepatitis Day was launched by the World Hepatitis Alliance in 2008.
The alliance is a non-governmental coalition of advocacy groups that serves as a global voice for the 500 million people worldwide living with chronic viral hepatitis B or C. According to the World Hepatitis Alliance, one in 12 people are living with either chronic hepatitis B or C which surpasses the number of individuals living with HIV or any cancer. The goals of the alliance are not only to raise awareness, but to extend existing support for the disease with long-term goals of preventing new infections and delivering improvements in health outcomes for people living with hepatitis.
Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver and can be caused by a wide range of things. One of the most common causes of chronic hepatitis is viral infection. Together, hepatitis B and C virus kill approximately one million people per year and one in three people have been exposed to one or both viruses.
Hepatitis B is spread through direct contact with infected blood as well as most major bodily fluids; hepatitis C is spread through direct contact with infected blood, but in rare cases, it may be passed through bodily fluids. Many people do not have any symptoms but can still transmit the viruses to others. If left untreated or unmanaged, both viruses can lead to advanced liver scarring (cirrhosis) and other serious complications including liver cancer or liver failure.
Viral hepatitis can be prevented by taking the following steps and encouraging others to do the same:
- Get vaccinated for hepatitis B (no vaccine available for hepatitis C)
- Practice safer sex
- Use only clean needles for tattoos and body piercings
- Do not share needles
- Do not share razors, toothbrushes, or other personal items
- Get medical care if you are exposed to blood or needle sticks
CUPHD co-sponsors a hepatitis support group to those of all ages. Anyone with hepatitis and their friends and family members may attend. The group meets at the Carle Forum in the Fritz Room at 611West Park Street in Urbana the second Wednesday of every month from 6:00 - 7:30 PM.
For more information on hepatitis, please call (217) 239-7827 or visit CUPHD on the web at www.c-uphd.org.
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Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Honored for Excellence in Public Health
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2011
Contact
Awais Vaid, Epidemiologist, (217) 531-5360
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Honored for Excellence in Public Health
Local Health Department Program is One of 41 Nationwide to Receive “Model Practice Award” in 2011
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) was honored at the 2011 annual conference of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), a body of peers, for developing and implementing a program that demonstrates exemplary and replicable qualities in response to a local public health need. “Real time advanced digital mapping to plan, identify, and respond to vaccination penetration rates” was one of 41 public health programs developed by a local health department selected from across the nation to receive NACCHO’s Model Practice Award.
CUPHD worked collaboratively with the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine Geographic Information System and Spatial Analysis Lab to better plan, prepare for, and respond to the H1N1 pandemic using real time advanced digital mapping. This response involved development of maps and protocols to facilitate creation of real time visual maps and sharing of information for public health. For planning purposes, CUPHD developed local, accurate maps of schools and day care centers starting in Spring 2009. Following CDC (Center for Disease Control & Prevention) vaccine delivery recommendations, the vaccines were to be delivered first to target populations including kids nine years and under and pregnant women.
“We are proud to receive NACCHO’s Model Practice Award. The award is evidence of our commitment to developing responsive and innovative public health programs that improve the health of local residents,” said Julie Pryde, Administrator, CUPHD.
Each innovative project receiving the award was peer-reviewed (by other local health department professionals) and selected from a group of 130 applications. Since 2003, NACCHO’s Model Practice Awards program has honored initiatives—including programs, resources, and tools—that demonstrate how local health departments and their community partners can effectively collaborate to address local public health concerns. “Real time advanced digital mapping to plan, identify and respond to vaccination penetration rates” is now part of an online, searchable database of successful public health practices in areas ranging from immunization and maternal and child health to infectious diseases and emergency preparedness. The NACCHO Model Practice database allows users to benefit from colleagues' experiences, to learn what works, and to ensure that resources are used wisely on effective programs that have been implemented with good results. It also enables NACCHO to share information with key stakeholders and media about the good work being done by local health departments across the country.
This award puts the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District into special company—a select group of health departments that exemplify a forward thinking, proactive attitude toward protecting and promoting the health of communities across the nation.
For more information, please contact CUPHD at (217) 531-7961 or visit www.c-uphd.org. For more information about the NACCHO Model Practice Awards and to view a list of other award winners, go to www.naccho.org.
About the National Association of County and City Health Officials
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the nation's 2,800 local governmental health departments. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and wellbeing for all people in their communities.
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Local Officials Urge Citizens to Check on Others during Heat Wave
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2011
Contact
John Dwyer, Coordinator / CCEMA
(217) 384-3826 /
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Local Officials Urge Citizens to Check on Others during Heat Wave
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency Urge the Public to Check on Individuals That May Be in Need
Champaign, IL –Officials from the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) and the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency (CCEMA) urge religious organizations, apartment and mobile home park managers, clubs and fraternal organizations to reach out and check-up on their vulnerable members or tenants who might need assistance during extreme heat. “These organizations are in a much better position than anyone to reach out during a heat wave or other emergency,” says Julie Pryde,
Administrator of CUPHD. “Religious and fraternal organizations are an immense resource. They often have directories, phone trees, prayer lines, and other resources that make it easy for them to reach out and conduct a welfare check.”
A welfare check can be as simple as asking a few questions:
- Do you have a working air conditioner?
- Do you know where the cooling centers are, and do you need assistance getting to one?
- How do you feel?
And offer a few reminders to avoid heat-related illness:
- Stay hydrated. Drink at least 48-64 ounces of cool non-caffeinated and nonalcoholic beverages (caffeine & alcohol are diuretics and will increase dehydration). Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink.
- Reduce the amount of activity during the hottest parts of the day. If you must be active during those times, strive to take frequent breaks in a shady or cool area.
- Wear light-colored and lightweight clothes.
- Take a cool shower or sponge bath if you begin feeling over heated.
- Retreat to an air-conditioned environment if you begin to feel overly warm. If you do not have air conditioning, consider visiting a mall, grocery store, or other public place to cool off. Offer a ride if needed.
It is also important for neighbors to check on each other during this time.
Anyone can suffer a heat-related illness. CUPHD and CCEMA urge everyone to take precautions in the summer heat and to check on children, the elderly, and pets frequently.
For more information, please contact CUPHD at (217) 352-7961 or visit www.c-uphd.org.
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