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The rate of babies born with syphilis is rising in Louisiana, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC found the rate of congenital syphilis rose by 6% nationwide between 2014 and 2015. Director of the Bureau of Infectious Diseases for the Office of Public Health, Dr. DeAnn Gruber, says the problem is even worse in Louisiana.
The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to obtain competitive proposals from qualified Proposers who are interested in providing a broad array of consulting services.
The Louisiana Department of Health recently awarded a $500,000 loan to the Town of Lutcher through the State’s Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund. This low-interest subsidized loan will help improve the town’s water system.
Throughout the course of the week, each home will receive an empty bottle and instructions to collect a water sample. Residents can choose to collect the sample on their own; can allow state personnel to collect the sample; or can choose not to participate in sampling.
Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a Public Health Emergency for the Town of St. Joseph in North Louisiana. Residents are advised to use an alternative source for drinking water. On Dec. 15, 2016 test results conducted by the Office of Public Health showed elevated levels of lead in two samples – a private residence and the Town Hall. Also, there were two other sites with elevated levels of copper – both were private residences. The Town of St. Joseph has experienced water problems for years due to the poorly maintained and deteriorating water distribution system. Frequent breaks in the water distribution system provide a potential health risk because of the drop in water pressure.
Matthew Guidry of Opelousas, Louisiana, is one of thousands of Louisiana residents who is now getting care because of Medicaid expansion. Guidry, who has lived with sickle cell anemia almost all of his life, looked to the local emergency room for care. Although he could get relief for his pain there, it was much more difficult to find someone to treat his ongoing vision problems.
The Office of Public Health STD/HIV Program is seeking competitive proposals from qualified proposers to act as a program administrator and fiduciary agent for the statewide Health Insurance Program (HIP) for persons living with HIV.
The Louisiana Department of Health, Department of Environmental Quality, and Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, have issued a new advisory concerning fish and shellfish for Bayou D’Inde, the Calcasieu Estuary and the Calcasieu Ship Channel.
David Armstead, HIV program monitor with the Louisiana Department of Health Office of Public Health, has been named as one of the Top 100 people in the nation working to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Armstead was recognized for his volunteer outreach efforts in the New Orleans area where he also serves as chair of the New Orleans Regional AIDS Planning Council.
The Louisiana Department of Health is providing updated information about West Nile and Zika virus cases in the state. The department has identified nine additional West Nile cases, bringing the total count to 45, and five additional Zika cases confirmed, bringing the total to 39.
Reducing the incidence of premature birth in Louisiana is a goal of the Louisiana Department of Health and one in which improvements are being made. In just three years, the rate of preterm birth has been reduced from 15.1 percent to 12.3 percent. In spite of this improvement, communities in Louisiana still have some of the highest rates of preterm birth in the country.
The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting six additional cases of West Nile virus in the state. There are no additional reported cases of Zika virus for this week. This brings the total West Nile virus cases to 36, with the Zika virus count remaining at 34 cases in 2016.