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Press Release

Pitt County Office of Public Information

Phone: 252.902.2955 ∙ Fax: 252.830.6311

April 4, 2016 Page 1 of 2

For Immediate Release

Pitt County Celebrates Public Health Week 2016 with Multiple Messages

(Pitt County) — Communities will come together April 4 – 10 to celebrate and support public health during the 2016 National Public Health Week observance. Numerous events centered on this year’s theme of “Healthiest Nation 2030” are being implemented nationwide with guidance from the American Public Health Association. Pitt County Health Department employees will join in this celebration and will participate in local activities promoting multiple public health messages to the community throughout the entire month of April.

Importance of Regular Health Screenings

The Department will kick off the local campaign this week by hosting health screenings for all Pitt County Government employees as a measure to help identify risk factors that could lead to chronic illnesses and diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. The Department’s Health Promotion Team will provide individual counseling sessions to assist employees with setting goals designed to improve health screening results. Health Department officials recommend that all individuals get screened regularly and follow their health care provider’s advice to improve or maintain health status.

Mosquito Control to Prevent The Spread of Mosquito-borne Viruses

The Environmental Health Division will continue to promote the importance of mosquito control among the community. With spring season in full mode accompanied by warm and wet days, conditions are perfect for mosquito-borne viruses, such as Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika to spread. Community members can do their part in helping to control mosquitoes by eliminating standing water in and around homes, regularly emptying items that hold water (such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpots or trash containers) and tightly covering water storage containers (buckets or rain barrels) so that mosquitoes cannot get inside to lay eggs. Septic tanks that contain cracks or gaps should be repaired and open vents or plumbing pipes should be covered with wire mesh that has holes smaller than an adult mosquito. Mosquitoes should be kept out of homes by using screens on windows and doors, repairing holes in screens and using air conditioning when possible. Mosquito bites can be prevented by using an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent containing one of the following active ingredients: Deet, Picaridin, IR3535, Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD). For more information on mosquito control, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at: http://www.cdc.gov/zika/pdfs/control_mosquitoes_chikv_denv_zika.pdf. Pitt County Environmental Health staff is also available to help investigate local mosquito control problems and can be reached at 252.902.3210.

“Making Pitt’s Babies Fit”

Women’s and Children’s Health staff along with the Pitt Infant Mortality Prevention Advisory Council (PIMPAC) will host the 24th Annual “Making Pitt’s Babies Fit” Maternity Fair to link community members with resources designed to improve birth outcomes and prevent infant deaths. This event will be held on Sunday, April 17th from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm at the Greenville Convention Center and will feature health exhibits, items for purchase from local businesses, a child passenger safety seat clinic, a fashion show, a Triple P Positive Parenting Panel and door prizes. Admission is free and the community is invited to attend to learn more about pregnancy planning, recommendations for a healthy pregnancy and childrearing.

Follow Health Department Employees on Facebook

Employees have developed social media hashtags that will be linked to messages and pictures highlighting employees working during April to protect, promote and assure the health of all people in Pitt County. Community members are encouraged to visit the Health Department’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pittcountyhealthdepartment/ to learn more.

For more information about National Public Health Week, visit http://www.nphw.org/about. For information about Pitt County’s Public Health Week / Month activities, contact Amy Hattem at 252.902.2426 or .

For more information, contact Kiara Jones, Director of Public Information & Media Relations at 252.902.2955.