Latest news with #AlabamaDepartmentofPublicHealth
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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Senator Katie Britt is pushing to make breast cancer tests more accessible and affordable
ALABAMA (WDHN) – Enterprise native Senator Katie Britt has announced the 'Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis Act,' where she aims to eliminate out of pocket expenses for diagnostic breast cancer tests. Today, the law does require insurance companies to provide no co-pay coverage for breast cancer screenings, but that does not help everyone. The current law does not extend this factor to the diagnosis testing, which includes 3D mammograms, MRI's and ultrasounds. Recent reports say that around 10% of mammograms require a follow up diagnostic test. According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lifespans. Also, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health, the breast cancer rate in Alabama is 121%, which is lower than the U.S. rate of 126%. Experts said they expect over 316,000 new cases of breast cancer will occur across the U.S. Britt introduced this legislation to the 118th Congress. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mobile Bay areas reopen after oyster harvesting closure
MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) — Areas of Mobile Bay that were closed to the harvesting of oysters are now open. Pensacola Beach Sailfish sign now reads 'Gulf of America' According to a news release from the Alabama Department of Public Health, Portersville Bay and Heron Bay have been closed since April 7. As of 10 a.m., Wednesday, April 23, those areas are open; however, residents interested in harvesting oysters are encouraged to check with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Marine Resources Division to verify open areas for harvest, the release said. 'The Alabama Department of Public Health will continue to monitor bay waters and shellfish to ensure bacteriological safety,' the release said. Baldwin County Sheriff's new unit to focus on farmland, rural areas For more information, call ADPH at 251-433-2428 or 251-331-0651. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signs maternal health bill
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill Tuesday that is designed to provide 'presumptive Medicaid eligibility' to pregnant women. According to The Associated Press, the legislation stipulates Medicaid will pay for a pregnant woman's outpatient medical care for up to 60 days while an application for the government-funded insurance program is being considered. Alabama lawmakers pass legislation that could help with health care access About 45% of infant births in Alabama were paid for by Medicaid in 2023, according to an Alabama Department of Public Health chart. The ADPH stated the infant mortality rate across the state was 7.8 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alabama mothers praise passage of bill giving pregnant women eligibility for Medicaid
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Pregnant women in Alabama will soon have access to health care coverage through Medicaid before the agency approves their application. On Tuesday, the Alabama House of Representatives unanimously passed HB 89, a bill that would give pregnant women 'presumptive eligibility' for Medicaid. Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, authored the companion bill, adding that it would go a long way toward saving lives. 'It's saving the lives of babies,' Coleman-Madison said. 'It's often times saving the lives of the mother, because if the mother has some kind of issues early on, that will be detected as well.' According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, the infant mortality rate across the state increased to 7.8 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023, the highest it's been since 2016 and higher than the national rate of 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. 'We are very aware that we need to do better maternal and infant outcomes, our numbers are at the bottom and that's a trend that has to be reversed, and so I think this is a really good first step toward that,' said bill author Rep. Marilyn Lands, D-Huntsville. A chart from the Alabama Department of Public Health shows that 45% of infant births in state were paid for by Medicaid in 2023. Yuriana Serrano of Bessemer gave birth to her first child in Florida, which has presumptive eligibility, but her daughter was born in Alabama. 'With my first child I had him in Florida, so it's a lot different than the process here, but with my second one, I had to wait about a month until I had Medicaid coverage,' Serrano said. Thanks to new legislation that gives pregnant women presumptive eligibility for Medicaid, that will all change. 'I know the struggle that I went through getting care and everything, so I think it's important,' she added. While Gretchen McCreless, who has two children, had her pregnancies covered private coverage, she was excited about the passage of the new bill. 'I think we have a lot of work to do for maternal care in the country, but especially in Alabama, and so I think that opens a lot of doors for those women to get adequate care sooner without having to go through a lot of hurdles,' McCreless said. The bill now awaits Gov. Kay Ivey's signature. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
