Public Health Matters Blog

Moving the Dial on Preparedness: CDC’s 2018 National Snapshot

Photo of a flooded apartment complex and office building during Hurricane Harvey.

Every year, CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response publishes the Public Health Preparedness and Response National Snapshot, an annual report that highlights the work of CDC and our partners. No matter the type, size, or cause of a public health emergency, we must work together to respond to the best of our ability. Read More >

April 16, 2018 by Blog AdministratorLeave a comment

Preparedness, Public Health, Response

Federal Select Agents Program, Hurricane, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, medical countermeasures, National Snapshot, opioid epidemic, opioid overdose, opioids, PHEP, Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program, recovery, select agents and toxins, State and Local Readiness

Responding to Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Disease Threats in 2017

Montage of photos. From left: a photo of different raw foods, including salmon, fruits and vegetables. A photo of a boy taking an oral vaccine. A photo of bacteria growing in petri dish.

The fungal superbug Candida auris causes serious and often fatal infections. It can strike people in the places where they seek care—hospitals and other healthcare facilities. In early 2016, we knew about outbreaks of C. auris infections on multiple continents, but we were not sure whether C. auris was in the United States. Fast forward Read More >

April 9, 2018 by Rima F. Khabbaz, MD, Director, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases2 Comments

Disease Investigation, Disease Outbreak, Foodborne, Public Health, Vectorborne

advanced molecular detection, anthrax, antibiotic resistance, candida auris, disease detectives, e. coli, Guillain-Barré syndrome, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, salmonella, Seoul virus, yellow fever, Zika

Evaluating Communication Campaigns

Black man holding belly of his pregnant wife making heart. Pregnant woman and loving husband hugging tummy at home. Heart of hands by multiethnic couple on pregnant belly.

Health communication and marketing campaigns that promote positive behavior change are a cornerstone of public health and behavioral science. Designing and implementing quality campaigns on a tight budget and in an urgent timeframe is a challenge that most health communication professionals share. Research and evaluation are critical for a successful campaign. CDC is using leading research and Read More >

April 2, 2018 by Fred Fridinger, DrPH, Senior Health Communications Specialist, Office of the Associate Director for Communication2 Comments

Communication Research and Evaluation Series, Prevention/Vaccination, Public Health

communication, communication campaigns, Domestic Zika Campaign, evaluation, formative research, health communication, health marketing, message testing, monitoring, research, Zika

Assessing Community Needs in Real-time

Group photo of a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) Team in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

What if there was a way to evaluate the needs of a community after a natural disaster? Or understand a community’s attitudes and beliefs about a specific public health behavior? Enter CASPER: Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response, a tool for health departments and public health professionals to assess community needs in real-time. What Read More >

March 26, 2018 by Amy Helene Schnall, Epidemiologist, Disaster Epidemiology and Response Team, National Center for Environmental Health3 Comments

Communication Research and Evaluation Series, Public Health, Response

CASPER, Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response, community needs assessment, data collection, needs assessment, recovery, response

7 Ways to ‘Be Gutsy’ this March!

Let’s face it: your colon isn’t exactly a dinner party topic. It takes a lot of guts to bring up colorectal cancer—to your parents, your spouse, your doctor, your friends. Don’t be afraid to pipe up about the second-leading cancer killer of both men and women, because it’s proven that simple steps save lives. Here’s Read More >

March 19, 2018 by Blog Administrator2 Comments

Prevention/Vaccination, Public Health

#BeGutsy, cancer, chronic disease, colon cancer, colorectal cancer, colorectal screening, screening

Shouting in the Dark: Emergency Communication in USVI After Irma and Maria

Nykole Tyson, Director of Public Relations for the US Virgin Islands Department of Health, speaking into a radio microphone.

Communication experts often say, “When you’re communicating during an emergency, always think about what you’d say to your mom. What information would she need the most? How would you explain it to her? What would you need to know for sure before you told her? And just how far would you go to reach her?” Read More >

March 12, 2018 by Blog Administrator2 Comments

Natural Disasters, Preparedness, Response

communication, emergency risk communication, Hurricane, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, US Virgin Islands, USVI

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