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Florida Department of Health recognizes key themes of Public Health Week
Tallahassee, Fla. —National Public Health week is observed the first week of April of each year. This year, Florida is adapting this observance to focus on resources, services, and topics that are relevant to Floridians.

Florida Public Health Week is a time to recognize contributions to public health and highlight public health topics that are important to improving the health of Floridians. This year public health week is April 1-7, 2024. The 2024 themes are as follows:

Healthy Communities
Focusing on healthy communities helps Floridians stay healthy where they live, work, and play. Building healthy habits, like getting outdoors and eating nutritious foods, with friends, family, and neighbors can help optimize your health. Floridians can visit the Healthier You website to learn tips for healthy eating, habits, places, and more.

Tips for Building Healthy Communities:
•Start a community garden.
•Get active and go on walks.
•Cook a new healthy recipe with friends and family.
•Visit state parks and trails.
•Get your home tested for radon.

Lifesaving Resources
Lifesaving resources are available throughout Florida, including HIV prevention, testing, and treatment, and substance use disorder treatment and opioid overdose medication.

HIV Prevention, Testing, and Treatment
HIV prevention, testing, and treatment resources are available statewide. Knowing your status is the first step toward effective HIV prevention and treatment. People can reduce their risk for HIV by using appropriate prevention strategies, such as taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), using protection, and getting tested regularly. Contact a health care provider to find out if PrEP is recommended for you.

If you test positive for HIV, seeking HIV treatment is critical. Antiretroviral therapy can help people live longer, healthier lives. People living with HIV who take antiretroviral medication as prescribed and have an undetectable viral load cannot transmit HIV to their sexual partners. Both PrEP and HIV treatment medications are now available as pills and long-acting injectables.

All 67 county health departments provide HIV testing, PrEP, and other HIV-related services. For more information on HIV/AIDS and free at-home HIV testing kits, please visit the Florida Department of Health HIV/AIDS webpage.

Opioid Overdose Medication and Substance Use Disorder Treatment
All 67 county health departments distribute free naloxone nasal spray and educational material on how to use naloxone to community members who are at risk of experiencing or witnessing an opioid overdose. Naloxone is a lifesaving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids by restoring breathing upon waiting for emergency services to arrive.

Signs of an Overdose:
• Small, constricted “pinpoint pupils.”
• Falling asleep or losing consciousness.
• Discolored skin, especially lips and nails.
• Slow heartbeat or low blood pressure.
• Cold and/or clammy skin.
• Slow, weak, or not breathing.

Floridians and organizations can find naloxone providers in Florida by visiting the I SAVE FL website.

Floridians can also seek treatment and help with substance use disorder through the Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) Network. This CORE Network is the first of its kind in the U.S. and aims to eliminate the stigma of addiction and treat substance use disorder as a disease, with the same level of continuous care. Floridians can find help by visiting the CORE website.

Child Safety
Child safety and injury prevention is a priority for Florida. The Florida Department of Health offers many programs and resources to help educate and protect infants, children, and adolescents.
Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Child abuse is one aspect of what constitutes adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which can have a lasting negative impact on an individual’s health for the rest of their life. Children who have experienced many ACEs are more likely to experience common adult life-threatening health conditions like heart disease and substance abuse. Addressing ACEs at the community level can contribute to improvements in health outcomes over time.

You can show support for promoting positive childhood experiences by wearing blue on April 5, 2024, for #WearBlueDay to kick off National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Each year, organizations around Florida, including the Florida Department of Health, gather to plant pinwheels that symbolize a commitment to supporting families and protecting children.

Drowning Prevention
Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 1-4 in Florida. Drowning is preventable, and the State of Florida works to educate Floridians and visitors on safe recreation around all bodies of water. Some actions individuals can take include:
• Ensuring children are supervised in and around bodies of water.
• Engaging in swim lessons.
• Learning CPR.
• Making sure pool barriers and gates meet state law requirements.
• Following life jacket laws and ensuring life jackets are properly fitted.
• Checking local conditions before you head out to the water, such as weather conditions, rip tides, and marine life.

The WaterSmartFL campaign identifies precautionary steps that individuals can take to increase water safety and reduce drownings.

Safe Sleep
Creating a safe sleep environment can help prevent sudden unexpected infant deaths. The ABCs of Safe Sleep and ensuring an infant’s crib meets safety standards are best practices parents and guardians can use to promote a safe sleep environment.

Infants should always sleep:
• A: Alone.
• B: On their backs.
• C: In their own crib free of any additional items (e.g., pillows, blankets, bumper pads, toys, and other loose objects).

For more information about safe sleep, visit the Florida Department of Health Infant Safe Sleep Environment webpage.

Hot Car Prevention
The inside of a car can get hot quickly, reaching temperatures in the hundreds within minutes. Even just a few minutes in a hot car can lead to heat stroke, which can be fatal. Children are especially vulnerable to this heat risk and should never be left unattended in a car.

During the summer, many families change their daily routines for vacations or other reasons, and that disruption is a common factor in these tragic incidents. Even though routines may change, it is important to always check the backseat before leaving a vehicle.

Emergency Preparedness
Keeping Floridians safe and healthy before, during, and after natural disasters is a priority for the Florida Department of Health.

During natural disasters, county health departments operate special needs shelters. If you know or care for an individual with a disability or special need, such as a medical condition that requires assistance but not hospitalization, you should pre-register with the Florida Special Needs Shelter Registry. Registering through the Florida Special Needs Registry allows local emergency management officials to provide important information and quickly assist you during an emergency. It is also important for special needs residents to bring essential items with them to the shelter that can be found on this checklist.

Special Needs Shelter Eligibility:
• People with special medical needs.
• People whose care exceeds the basic first aid provided at general population shelters.
• People with impairments or disabilities who are medically stable and do not require medical care.
• People with disabilities may not need to go to a special needs shelter and may instead be able to be safely accommodated in a general population shelter.

If a natural disaster requires evacuation, remember to prepare prescription medicines ahead of time and bring them with you when evacuating. Most pharmacies will be closed during and after the disaster. It is best to have at least a 30-day supply of medications ahead of time. Section 252.358, Florida Statutes, allows early prescription refills in the event that the Governor issues an Executive Order declaring a State of Emergency.

During emergencies, the Florida Department of Health helps keep the public safe from human health risks due to environmental components by providing emergency information on topics such as boil water notices, private well water testing, and more.

Future of Public Health
The Florida Department of Health’s mission is to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

The Florida Department of Health is looking for professionals who want to serve and solve challenging issues in a variety of roles that aim to improve the health for all. Search for available positions at https://jobs.myflorida.com/