Blog

Zika is a frightening disease few people had heard of until recently. Over the last few months, many Americans have become aware of the virus, spread by mosquitoes that if acquired during pregnancy can cause microcephaly (babies born with small heads) and other severe fetal brain defects. A few weeks ago, Harris County Public Health (HCPH) announced that the first child in the state of Texas was born with Zika-related microcephaly. The mother contracted the disease in Colombia, but gave birth at a one of our local hospitals. Our thoughts and prayers are with the child and family who are dealing with this heartbreaking consequence of the spread of the Zika virus.

Achieving a nation free of disparities in health and health care extends beyond the walls of federal offices. As we deepen our reach into this current era of public health, we step into an age of a greater understanding of the factors upon which better health is built—the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live and age. This knowledge underscores our goal in building stronger relationships and alliances that achieve better health outcomes for all communities by bolstering the efforts of our partners.

Message from the HHS OMH Director: The Surgeon General is calling on us to lead Every day, more than 75 people in our country die from a prescription drug or heroin overdose. In 2013, nearly 249 million prescriptions were written for opioids—enough for every adult in America to have a bottle of pills. A significant factor in the opioid epidemic is legally written prescriptions from doctors, dentists, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. As a physician myself, I understand the important role that we—the doctors, nurse practitioners, dentists and physician assistants of America—can play

Earlier this year, when the word “Zika” was just becoming known in the U.S., promotores de salud, also known as community health workers (CHWs), in Miami, Florida were already taking action and learning about the prevention and control of mosquito-borne diseases. In February, the Miami Dade Florida Health Department convened a community meeting that resulted in a call for more multilingual community education and awareness of Zika. The Florida Community Health Worker Coalition partnered with the Health Council of South Florida , the Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and the

Summary: The 100-Day Challenge will help catalyze community action to establish bold, creative, and innovative ways to help homeless youth find stable housing.

The largest study ever to investigate how genetic and biological factors contribute to breast cancer risk among black women launched today. This collaborative research project will identify genetic factors that may underlie breast cancer disparities. The effort is funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

The effects of incarceration are felt far beyond prison walls: Children, families and communities also experience the consequences of incarceration. New research estimates that more than 5 million children, or 7 percent of all children in the United States, have had a parent in prison at some point during their childhood. Though every family’s story is different, many struggle with financial strain, stigma and discrimination, and the challenges of getting back to normal after a family member returns home from incarceration.

Si está embarazada o piensa empezar una familia, probablemente ya sabe que el estrés durante el embarazo es normal. Pero mucho estrés no es saludable. El surgimiento del virus del Zika puede ser otra razón de inquietud para las mujeres embarazadas o que tratan de quedar embarazadas.

Each year, more than 700,000 individuals, the vast majority of them men, return to communities throughout the U.S. after serving time in federal and state prisons, and another 11.4 million cycle through local jails. Research shows that, within three years of their release, as many as two-thirds of those who have completed their sentences are likely to be re-arrested, and within five years the proportion increases to three-fourths.

At the heart of the Caribbean-American community is a sentiment to never forget your roots. A new life filled with opportunity greets many who journey to the mainland United States, but they never forget those whom they love and cherish back in their homeland. This is a sentiment that I, as the daughter of Haitian immigrants, reflect on during this Caribbean American Heritage Month. In 2010, only eight days into a new position as Chief Medical Officer to the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), I was stunned by the news that a 7.0 earthquake

As a former track and field sprinter, I still remember and admire my high school track coach whom we affectionately call “Mr. Z.” He helped me to experience some of sports’ great life lessons — leadership, teamwork, and perseverance — and a love of being fit and healthy. This June, sports fans have been served up a buffet of major events that exemplify all of these lessons: the NBA Finals rematch, the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Centennial Copa America, the French Open, the U.S. Open golf championships, and of course, the NCAA Track and Field Championships.

That's right. With what we choose to do today — whether it's standing by our game-changing ideas or using our voices to stand up for our communities — we are helping build a healthier and happier generation of women and girls. As women, I believe it's our responsibility to stand together and build on what those before us have done so that we can continue to make strides toward improving the well-being of women and girls.

Ten years ago, I was invited to participate in the Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Summit in California to present Research Challenges for Small Populations: The Pacific Islander Case. The experience was transformative—I found myself in the midst of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) elders and leaders passionately committed to social justice and improving conditions for Pacific Peoples. The discussions that day confirmed the need to show that the health needs of small populations matter. And with that, I began a journey inspired by NHPI stakeholders to advocate for high quality disaggregated data—data that teases out granular information—on the NHPI population.

Legionnaires’ disease is a serious type of lung infection (pneumonia) that people can get by breathing in small droplets of water contaminated with Legionella.

In many families, there comes a time when our parents are no longer be able to care for themselves independently and require assistance to handle their daily activities. In several cultures, including Asian heritage, caring for aging parents is a rite of passage. For many individuals of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander descent, respecting and caring for one's parents, also referred to as filial piety, is an important family value that extends across many cultures and generations.