Latest news with #ADPH
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
ADPH releases report of first case of West Nile virus of 2025
ALABAMA (WDHN) – Alabama's state department of public health has released their report of the first case of the West Nile Virus of 2025. The report was released, as mosquito season intensifies. The West Nile Virus comes from birds and mosquitos, and symptoms include a headache, nausea and a skin rash. The ADPH said 8 out of 10 infected with the West Nile Virus do not show any symptom, while the outbreak of the virus has become more common. Last year, 34 cases of the West Nile Virus happened in Alabama, according to the CDC. The ADPH reported a case of dengue fever and malaria by residents, who traveled outside of the state as well. To keep away from mosquitos this season, clean and empty items that hold water, cover water containers, keep grass trimmed and use indoor insect spray. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alabama health officials urge public to protect themselves during mosquito season
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — As mosquito season ramps up, the Alabama Department of Public Health is urging the community to protect themselves and their communities from diseases carried by the insects, such as West Nile virus. 'Mosquitoes are more than a nuisance; they can carry viruses that cause serious illness in humans,' the department said in a statment. 'Fortunately, there are simple steps everyone can take to stay safe.' The ADPH recommends the following actions:Eliminate Standing WaterMosquitoes lay eggs in standing water. One small container can produce hundreds of mosquitoes in a week. To prevent breeding, dump and drain anything that holds water, from flowerpots to gutters and buckets, as well as scrub and clean them. Protect yourself from mosquito bitesNo vaccine and no specific treatments are available for these mosquito- borne diseases. Therefore, the best defense is to prevent mosquito bites using insect repellents, wearing long sleeves and pants, repairing window and door screens and staying indoors during peak hours when mosquitos are out most. For more information, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
ADPH releases 2025 fish consumption advisories
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — People looking to eat the fish they catch may benefit from reading the 2025 fish consumption advisories. ADPH annually updates the fish consumption advisories based on data gathered by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management from the previous fall. 📲 to stay updated on the go. 📧 to have news sent to your inbox. ADEM, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources collected samples of specific fish species to analyze from various bodies of water throughout the state in the fall of 2024. This includes 492 samples from 42 collection stations. ADPH assessed the results to find whether any tested contaminants in the fish could cause potential health effects. The main contaminants in Alabama are: Mercury Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) Perfluoralkyl sulfonate (PFOS) These advisories are issued for specific bodies of water and fish taken from those areas. In reservoirs, advisories apply to waters as far as a boat can be taken upstream to full pool elevations. Recently, ADEM has been putting up signs at many public boat launches with a QR code. The code on the sign can be scanned with a mobile phone and will link to the advisory map. The map can also be found at the ADEM website. Newly issued advisories are the safe amount of fish that can be eaten in a given time, such as meals per week, meals per month or do not eat any. A meal consists of six ounces of cooked fish or eight ounces of raw fish. New and updated consumption advisories released for the 42 bodies of water tested can be found on the ADPH Toxicology website. The advice in the release is offered as a guide for people who want to eat fish they catch from the various bodies of water throughout Alabama. However, no regulations ban the consumption of any of the fish caught within the state, nor is there a risk of an acute toxic episode that could happen from eating any of the fish containing the contaminants, which the State has done tests on. A general rule of thumb is that older, larger fish have eaten more and have been in the water longer, so there is a higher chance for contaminants being in their bodies. A fish consumption advisory can be issued for one or more specific species of fish within a body of water, or an advisory can be extended to include all fish species there. When excess levels of a contaminant are found in a specific species of fish, an advisory is issued for that specific species. When excess levels of a contaminant are found in multiple fish species sampled from a specific body of water, a Do Not Eat Any advisory would be issued. Eating a fish from an area under a Do Not Eat Any advisory may put the consumer at risk for harm. If a species is listed in the advisory, it is safe to assume that a similar species with similar feeding habits should be eaten with caution. For example, if black crappie is listed and white crappie is not, because they are in the same family, all crappie would fall under the listed advisory. To see the full list of contaminated fish in Alabama, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alabama postpartum depression bills fail but drive Medicaid policy changes
Rep. Frances Holk-Jones, R-Foley, speaks on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives on May 9, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) Legislation that would have required Alabama health care providers to screen for postpartum depression failed to pass this year. But the sponsors of the bills – one a Democrat; one a Republican — feel they managed to move the issue forward. 'We may not have won the war on postpartum depression, but we certainly got a victory in the battle,' said Rep. Frances Holk-Jones, R-Foley. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX As originally filed, HB 322, sponsored by Holk-Jones, and SB 191, sponsored by Sen. Vivian Davis Figures, D-Mobile, would have required the Alabama Medicaid Agency to provide and cover postpartum depression screenings and to cover specific prescription drugs used to treat depression. The bills would also have removed a requirement that those suffering from postpartum depression go through separate 30-day treatment trials with at least two generic antidepressants before covering an FDA-approved therapy for postpartum depression like Zurzuvae. Melanie Cleveland, a spokeswoman for the Alabama Medicaid Agency, said in an email Friday that the agency no longer requires patients with postpartum depression to try less expensive generic medicine before getting approved for pricier treatments. Cleveland said that FDA-approved medication for postpartum depression will no longer depend on two prior failed therapies. 'That's a step in the right direction,' Holk-Jones said. Medicaid covers mental health treatment for low-income mothers up to a year after childbirth. But significant obstacles prevent many from receiving adequate care, forcing some women to go without treatment until they are in crisis. These barriers include Medicaid's underfunding, which leads to low reimbursement rates for therapists and limits the number who accept Medicaid, and issues with administrative requirements, lack of transportation and childcare, and limited telehealth accessibility. The initial version of the bill would have mandated universal postpartum depression screenings for new mothers as part of the postnatal care model. The bill would also have required the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) to develop educational materials on postpartum depression for health care professionals and parents of newborns. Holk-Jones' bill was amended in the House Health Committee to focus only on educational material that would have been developed by ADPH, which the House passed unanimously. Figures' Senate bill was also amended in committee to reflect the changes in the House, but the Senate never voted on it. Figures said that although the remaining educational provisions of the bill did not become law, it is something that the department could do without statute. 'They can do that on their website. If the bill does not pass, the health department can still do that, too,' Figures said, but she said that 'the major thing that needed to be done was done without a statute,' referring to the requirement that people not fail two prior medications. Jennifer Harris, a health policy advocate at Alabama Arise, a nonprofit organization focusing on poverty issues, said that while some providers already provide screenings, the new policy allows providers to assess patient needs without being subject to cost-saving controls. 'One of the administrative changes they made was that the provider should be able to assess the needs for the patient, and if not, if it doesn't meet the criteria of being the least costly, less evasive, medication first, then they're able to prescribe that medication that the mother would need,' Harris said. Despite changes in Medicaid's policy, Holk-Jones said there was still a critical need for the legislation, pointing to the prevalence of postpartum depression in Alabama. 'I do think this bill is absolutely needed, especially for all of the mothers with newborns who are dealing with the difficult mental health issue of postpartum depression,' Holk-Jones said. Mental health care for new moms is critical. And hard to access. Nearly 19% of mothers had frequent postpartum depressive symptoms in Alabama in 2021, compared to 12.7% of mothers nationwide, according to latest March of Dimes data. Holk-Jones also said that untreated postpartum depression is not only damaging to the mother's health, but can also have more significant economic costs, including long-term health care costs from emergency intervention and 'long-term mental health issues that have damaging effects on both the mother and their child.' She said this was 'a genuine attempt' to address an issue that affects more people in Alabama than in other states. She will pre-file the bill for the next legislative session, saying 'it is time we address this issue.' 'This bill … is about making sure every woman, no matter where she lives, gets screened and supported. That's the standard we should all be working toward and that is why I will be refiling this legislation again next session,' Holk-Jones said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alabama judge blocks state from regulating birth centers as hospitals
Dr. Heather Skanes, OB-GYN and owner of Oasis Family Birth Center in Birmingham, discusses ACLU's lawsuit against the Alabama Public Health Department on Aug. 8, 2023 in front of the Mothers of Gynecology Monument in Montgomery. (Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama judge Thursday blocked the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) from regulating freestanding birth centers as hospitals, delivering a victory to midwives in the state. Montgomery Circuit Court Judge Greg Griffin's ruling concluded that the Alabama Legislature did not authorize the ADPH to regulate midwifery care in birth centers as 'hospitals,' saying that ADPH's attempt to impose hospital regulations on Freestanding Birth Centers (FSBCs), which offer an out-of-hospital birth option, was unlawful. 'Because both legal rules of statutory construction and undisputed record evidence make clear that FSBCs do not provide 'obstetrical care,' and do not provide care 'to the public generally,' ADPH's attempt to regulate them as 'hospitals' exceeds its statutory authority and violates the AAPA,' Griffin wrote in the ruling. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Messages seeking comment was left with ADPH and the Alabama Attorney General's office. Birth centers are health care facilities dedicated to childbirth and are centered around the midwifery model of care. They are often looked at as an in-between option for mothers not completely comfortable with home births or the medical setting of a hospital. Supporters also say that it provides another option for people with low-risk pregnancies in a state where about 34% of counties are considered maternity care deserts. Dr. Heather Skanes, OB-GYN and owner of Oasis Family Birth Center in Birmingham, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said in an interview Friday that the ruling allows her to keep operating without 'the burdensome regulations that ADPH was planning to impose' on them. Since reopening after the preliminary injunction, Skanes said that her birth center has been 'able to start caring for birthing people again.' 'We've been doing births without any issues, and we've continued to provide safe and effective prenatal, labor, delivery, postpartum care in an underserved area here in Birmingham,' Skanes said. New rules approved by the ADPH in 2023 required Alabama birth centers to be overseen by a physician; be located within 30 minutes of an OB-GYN hospital and seek hospital licenses. Birth center advocates feared these regulations, especially the hospital licensing requirement, would make it challenging to serve low-risk pregnancies, particularly in rural areas of the state with poor maternal health outcomes that may lack health care providers.. The plaintiffs, including the birth centers, midwives, and the Alabama affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, filed a lawsuit in August 2023. The plaintiffs argued that these rules would make it nearly impossible for them to provide midwifery care. The following month, Griffin blocked ADPH from enforcing hospital licensing requirements on birth centers. In a statement, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which represents the plaintiffs, said the rule would ensure access to equitable pregnancy care in Alabama, a state facing a maternal and infant health crisis. This crisis disproportionately affects Black women, low-income communities, and those living in rural areas with limited access to hospitals. 'We are elated that the dedicated midwives at Alabama's birth centers can continue to provide crucial care to pregnant Alabamians across the state without undue interference,' said Whitney White, staff attorney with the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project. 'Midwifery care in birth centers is safe, can improve patient outcomes, and can play a critical role in expanding access to equitable pregnancy care in Alabama.' JaTaune Bosby Gilchrist, executive director of the ACLU of Alabama, said the ruling affirms the essentiality of midwife-led care. 'This ruling is a powerful affirmation of what birth workers, families, and communities across Alabama have long known: midwife-led care is essential,' Gilchrist said in a statement. 'As hospitals and obstetric services close across the state, particularly in rural areas, birth centers and midwives are stepping in to fill a dangerous gap in access.' Skanes said that she hopes the ruling 'allows Alabama to really reconsider the way that we provide maternal care.' She said that birthing centers could be a solution to providing maternal care by placing them 'in strategic areas around the state.' She said that Alabamians would benefit from an integrative approach to maternal care that utilizes both birth centers and hospitals. 'I think that we really have to change our mindset as physicians and as Alabamians, that this care can really be integrated into the medical system,' Skanes said. 'That it doesn't have to be something that's stigmatized, it doesn't have to be something that is talked down upon, but it's just another option for women and for birthing people, and it works in conjunction with the hospital.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
