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Breastfeeding has a profound impact on population health outcomes. The evidence for
the value of human milk on overall health for infants, children, and mothers is scientific, robust, and continually reaffirmed by new research. For related content, see below.
In Your Neighborhood
WPHD Receives National Award for Model Practice
West Piedmont Health District is among 14 local health departments across the nation, and the only one in Virginia, to be recognized for a Model Practice by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). Model Practices are programs demonstrating exemplary and replicable qualities in response to a critical local public health need. WPHD’s initiative, Community Health Workers as Data Collectors Provides Equity in Rural Virginia, garnered the award during the NACCHO annual conference in Detroit on July 25. Read more.
For related content, see Investing in CHWs is Vital to Population Health below.
Local COVID Uptick
We are seeing an uptick of cases of COVID-19. This is no surprise as the new variant FLiRT is the most dominant and is responsible for more than 30% of cases in the U.S. In fact, COVID-19 cases in Virginia have more than doubled over the past month, according to recent reports from VDH. There were 638 recorded cases as of June 8, and by July 6, the number had grown to 1,247. This variant is highly transmissible compared to other variants. The symptoms of FLiRT are consistent with other variants and include:
- Sore throat
- Body aches
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Shortness of breath (especially in unvaccinated people or those infected long ago)
The next booster vaccine should be available between September and October, and it will protect against this strain. Find pharmacies near you (vaccines.gov)
For related content, see the COVID updates below.
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News You Can Use
There is an ongoing, multistate outbreak of Listeria associated with meats
sliced at delis.
People in Virginia have gotten ill.
Please refer to the CDC webpage on the outbreak for the most updated information, as this information is subject to change. People who are pregnant, aged 65 and older, or who have weakened immune systems are more likely to get very sick from Listeria. People in these groups can choose safer foods to protect their health and can take other prevention steps. VDH Monitoring Listeria Outbreak Linked to Meats Sliced at Delis - Virginia Department of Health
Gen X and millennials are at a higher risk of cancers than older generations.
What to know: Rates for 17 of the 34 most common cancers are increasing in progressively younger generations, according to a study published recently. Why? It’s probably due to generational changes in diet, lifestyle and environmental exposures, researchers said. Experts say earlier screening could help. - Washington Post
Marking a ‘Market-Driven Epidemic’
Sugar, tobacco, and opioids have all led to public health crises—and to high-volume profits for the companies that make them. Which is why manufacturers often continue to aggressively market such products despite proven harms. But such “market-driven epidemics” can be better recognized and combatted, a new study by Duke Global Health Institute researchers finds - ”potentially saving millions of lives.” What it will take: “Overwhelming evidence of harms” and concerted, consistent messaging from public health leaders, civic organizations, journalists, and pop culture figures about a product’s dangers. For example: From peak consumption, U.S. cigarette sales have fallen by 82%; use of prescription opioids has dropped by 62%; and consumption of sugar has declined by 15%. Duke Global Health Institute
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Mental Health
A new KFF analysis examines the latest data on usage of the 988 number for the National Suicide and Crisis Hotline, two years after its launch in July 2022. Since launch, 988 has received 10.8 million combined calls, texts, and chats. The 988 line steers callers who are suicidal or experiencing a behavioral health crisis to the “988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline,” through which they can be connected to a local Lifeline counselor and may receive crisis counseling, resources, and referrals.
Of note:
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Suicide among preteens in the U.S. increased at a “significant” rate between the 2001–2007 and 2008–2022 periods, per a study drawing from CDC data; Black preteens had the highest rates of suicide for both periods. JAMA Network Open
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By the numbers: Between 2001 and 2022, a total of 2,241 children ages 8 to 12 years old died by suicide. After a period of decline until 2007, rates increased by about 8 percent annually from 2008 to 2022, according to the report (see link above) from the National Institute of Mental Health…The bigger picture: The study’s authors blamed no single reason for the increase, but outside experts say the problem is multifaceted, citing technology, social media and guns as the main culprits. The coronavirus pandemic also led to increases in anxiety, depression and other mental health issues nationwide.
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Nearly 32 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 17, or about 8.3 million people, received mental health treatment in the past year, an increase of more than 500,000 from 2022, according to new data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
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Breastfeeding Benefits & The Importance of CHWs
All the experts agree: Breastfeeding is Best
All major medical authorities recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, with continued breastfeeding following the introduction of complementary foods.
Breastfeeding has a profound impact on population health outcomes. The evidence for the value of human milk on overall health for infants, children, and mothers is scientific, robust, and continually reaffirmed by new research.
For mothers: Breastfeeding reduces the risk of a range of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and breast and ovarian cancers.
For infants: Breastfed infants are at lower risk of certain infections, sudden unexplained infant death, and a range of chronic diseases, including obesity, type 1 and 2 diabetes, asthma, and childhood leukemia. Ever breastfeeding is associated with a significant reduction in the odds of post-perinatal (between 7-364 days) infant death.
Click the image above to access resources and reference materials or use this link: Breastfeeding References (usbreastfeeding.org)
More access to breastfeeding support could save 820,000 young lives annually, UN agencies say | UN News
Investing in Community Health Workers Is Vital to Population Health
Community health workers (CHWs) are frontline, public health professionals who share life experience, compassion, and cultural and value alignment with the communities they serve. They work in a range of settings under different titles, but what makes them unique is their ability to build deep trust with the people they serve based on their lived experience.
Despite robust evidence demonstrating the value of CHWs, sustainability of CHW positions and funding remains a perpetual challenge. In this podcast by ASTHO (Association of State and Territorial Health Officials), two industry experts with direct state public health experience discuss why it is so critical to invest in the CHW workforce as part of a health equity strategy, and share resources available to help recruit, retain, and sustain the workforce.
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COVID:
Free vaccines to end; Infecting Wildlife; & Needless Deaths
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Tens of thousands more Americans would have survived the COVID-19 pandemic if all states had followed stricter mask and vaccine guidelines similar to those practiced in Northeastern states—with 10%–21% fewer excess deaths than the 1.18 million that occurred during the two-year analysis period, per a study published in JAMA Health Forum. The Hill
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The virus that causes COVID-19 is widespread in wildlife, scientists find – Virginia Tech via ScienceDaily
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The CDC’s Bridge Access Program is officially winding down. The agency launched the initiative last fall to provide free coronavirus vaccines to uninsured adults and those with limited coverage as the shots transitioned to the commercial market. Initially set to run through December, the program will now sunset by the end of the month due to a lack of federal funding.
The bigger picture: A summer coronavirus wave has washed over most of the country, with wastewater surveillance data detecting “high” or “very high” activity in 37 states and D.C. Other metrics also suggest the virus is rising, including the prevalence of covid diagnoses in emergency rooms and the rate of tests processed at labs coming back positive.
The end of the Bridge Access program comes as the federal government prepares to launch its fall vaccination campaign. The CDC recommends everyone ages 6 months and older receive shots updated to target the KP.2 strain, a descendant of the highly contagious JN.1 variant that dominated U.S. cases this winter. Last year, drugmakers Moderna and Pfizer listed their covid vaccines for more than $100 on the private market.
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