June 11 is Family Health & Fitness Day. This is a great reminder that eating healthy and being physically active are important for improving and maintaining overall health.
DHEC’s Bureau of Community Nutrition Services is sharing some ideas for how you and your family can be healthier and fit today and every day.
Continue readingToday as we celebrate Nurses Week, we’ll take a look at some public health nurse trailblazers.
When Dr. Robert Koch announced in 1882 his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB), it marked a critical turning point in the fight against the disease. It’s a fight that DHEC’s TB Control Division and its partners continue in South Carolina today.
In recent years, the push to control TB across the globe had been making positive strides until 2020 when there was what many hope will turn out to be simply a brief setback.
“For the first time in over a decade, TB deaths increased in 2020. The theme of World TB Day 2022 – ‘Invest to End TB. Save Lives.’ – conveys the urgent need to invest resources to ramp up the fight against TB and achieve the commitment to end TB made by global leaders.”
– Pan American Health Organization; World Health Organization, 2022
March 24 is World TB Day, and DHEC’s TB Control Division will celebrate it on Friday March 25, 2022. We will join local, state, national, and global public health officials, and partners in recognizing Dr. Koch’s efforts as well as that of people across the world who have worked to control and eliminate TB.
Click here to learn more about our work with partners to fight this illness.
About TB
Tuberculosis is a disease of the lungs that can be spread by coughing, sneezing, or speaking. It is treatable and preventable. We all can play an important role in eliminating tuberculosis in our community by understanding the signs and symptoms and helping to educate others.
The signs and symptoms of TB disease in other parts of the body depend on the area affected, but the general signs and symptoms of TB disease include:
Click here for a short video on one person’s story related to TB.
February is American Heart Month, and it provides an opportunity for people to focus on cardiovascular health.
DHEC’s Division of Diabetes and Heart Disease Management wants to encourage everyone to take action to improve their cardiovascular health. According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. This means 1 in every 4 deaths total in the U.S.
High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking are the key risk factors for heart disease. Getting regular health screenings can detect elevated levels and help with early detection or diagnosis.
Whatever your age or activity level, there are lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risks. Engaging in in regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet, being smoke-free, and limiting the use of alcohol can lower your risk of heart disease and help you live an overall healthier life.
Check out the DASH for Good Health Southern Style Cookbook for heart healthy recipes. You’ll find heart healthy tips on seasoning substitutions, eating at restaurants, and meal plans. Try the lemon chicken and potatoes recipe.
For more information on heart health, watch the February 9th episode of Wellness Wednesday, sponsored by the Division of Diabetes and Heart Disease Management archived on the In It Together Facebook page.
We also want to thank all DHEC employees who wore red, decorated your space, or both to raise awareness on National Go Red Day on Feb. 4.
In honor of January being National Birth Defects Awareness Month, DHEC’s Vinita Oberoi Leedom, SC Birth Defects Program (SCBDP) Manager, recently had the opportunity to talk to one of the leading experts on the matter, Dr. Sonja Rasmussen.
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Live Healthy S.C. 