Maternal Mortality Grant

Aasta Mehta MD, MPP, FACOG, Women’s Health Policy Advisor with Philadelphia Department of Public Health, explained what this grant means for Philadelphia mothers specifically. “The CDC grant provides funding to strengthen the surveillance process for maternal mortality in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia accounts for approximately 20 to 25 percent of maternal deaths in Pennsylvania,” said Dr. Mehta. “Therefore, a portion of the funding will go directly to Philadelphia to strengthen our surveillance process.”

https://citywidestories.com/2019/11/12/a-new-grant-aims-to-address-philadelphias-maternal-mortality-rate/

By Erin Jay

Redfield Visit

Inquirer

CDC Director Robert R. Redfield said Monday during a visit to Philadelphia that the number of new HIV cases has been dropping steadily since the height of the AIDS epidemic in the early 1990s, when more than 100,000 people a year were newly diagnosed with the virus that can lead to AIDS. But beginning in about 2008, when about 40,000 people a year were diagnosed with HIV, improvement largely stalled, he said.

https://www.inquirer.com/health/opioid-addiction/hiv-infections-philadelphia-opioid-crisis-20191104.html

By Aubrey Whelan

2018 HIV Report Release

Release:

The Philadelp

hia Department of Public Health (PDPH) reports promising reductions in new diagnoses of HIV. The number of newly diagnosed persons decreased 14.3% from 495 diagnoses in 2017 to 424 new diagnoses in 2018 with a notable decline of 35.8% in Black men who have sex with men (MSM); the City has experienced steady declines in new HIV diagnoses since the mid-2000s consistent with national trends.

https://www.phila.gov/2019-11-01-city-reports-promising-reductions-in-new-hiv-infections/

Patch

The number of HIV diagnoses in Philadelphia has gone down, according to new date from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

The PDPH released the 2018 HIV Surveillance Report, which contains data reported through June 30, 2019.

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/chestnuthill/hiv-diagnosis-rates-philly-drop-dept-public-health

By Max Bennett

PhillyVoice

The city has records of 19,011 people living with HIV, while another 2,019 people are estimated to have the virus without yet knowing. In 2018, Philadelphia’s 424 new HIV diagnoses were down from 495 new diagnoses in 2017. That continues a trend of steady declines since the mid-2000’s.

https://www.phillyvoice.com/philly-hiv-aids-diagnosis-needles-health-departments-report-2019/

By Michael Tanenbaum

Condom Distribution Program

When the site was initially rolled out in 2011, some media outlets reported it targeted the age bracket of 11 to 19 years old, which some parents felt was too young a start. The city acknowledges it can’t actually age-verify who used the service — but remains nonplussed about it.

“It’s possible that younger folks may have received the condoms,” Garrow told Billy Penn. “And honestly, we were never opposed to that happening.”

https://billypenn.com/2019/10/31/philly-gives-out-750000-free-condoms-a-year/

By Max Marin

Streets Cleaners Safety

Hepatitis A —  a curable but highly contagious and debilitating liver disease — is primarily caused by a virus transmitted by the so-called fecal-oral route.

By mid-October, the number of reported cases in Philadelphia had surged to 360, according to city health officials. A typical year brings two to six cases.

https://whyy.org/articles/feces-and-needles-jumping-in-the-air-city-street-cleaners-want-better-safety-gear/

By Aaron Moselle

Hepatitis A Response

Addiction and homelessness is a major dilemma in Kensington, Philadelphia, and those directly affected have very limited access to basic resources like restrooms. So when Hepatitis A broke out across the neighborhood, the city of Philadelphia installed public restrooms equipped with toilets, running water, attendants, and Narcan. Host Shirley Min heads to Kensington to take a look at the initiative, and meets Jacelyn Blank, a mother and resident, who contracted Hep-A while planting trees and tending a community garden.

https://whyy.org/episodes/combatting-disease-in-kensington/

By Shirley Min

Rental Property Lead Certificate Law

Beginning October 1, 2020, landlords will be required to test and certify rental properties as “lead-safe” or “lead-free” in order to A) execute a new or renewed lease or B) receive or renew a rental license.  The requirement applies to all residential properties, but it will be phased in by zip code over two years.  Below are frequently-asked questions about how the law will be applied.  More information will be provided closer to the effective date.

https://www.phila.gov/2019-10-22-rental-property-lead-certification-law/

Vietnamese Restaurant Closure

“The Health Department and L&I are responsible for following up on complaints they receive through the 311 system, many of which — including complaints against this shopping center — are anonymous,” Garrow said. “If there are no violations found during the inspection, L&I will mark the complaint as unfounded, and the Health Department will post a clean health inspection report.”

https://whyy.org/articles/hoa-binh-plaza-banh-mi-shop-closed-amid-concerns-that-city-agency-was-weaponized-for-gentrification/

By Meir Rinde