-
Sharing Knowledge
Expertise
Resources -
Making Public Health Public
-
Premier Network of
Public Health Communicators -
Increasing the Dissemination of
Accurate Information
LATEST NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Early Bird Pricing for NCHCMM is Active until June 15
Advanced "early bird" special pricing for students and government employees attending our National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing & Media (NCHCMM) are only available until June 15, then regular conference rates apply. NCHCMM brings together individuals representing academia, public health researchers and practitioners from federal and state government, as well as industry leaders and experts, to provide a forum for collegial dialogue within and across these groups. The conference aims to provide attendees with a learning environment where innovative ideas and new approaches to advance the field of health communication, marketing, and media are shared. See more information about early bird pricing for NCHCMM here.

May 31 is ‘World No Tobacco Day’
Wednesday, May 31, the World Health Organization (WHO) observes World No Tobacco Day to raise awareness of tobacco use’s health and economic impacts. This day is a powerful reminder of the tobacco epidemic that persists worldwide. This year’s theme is “Grow Food, Not Tobacco.” Over 124 countries grow and export tobacco. Tobacco displaces other crops that could feed millions of people and reduce the impact of global hunger and food insecurity. Furthermore, the tobacco industry spends considerable money and resources to promote the production of the plant, often interfering with attempts to substitute tobacco with other crops. These efforts exacerbate the growing global hunger crisis. Learn more in NPHIC’s latest blog here.

HIV Declines Among Young People and Drives Overall Decrease in New HIV Infections
Estimated annual new HIV infections were 12 percent lower in 2021 compared to 2017—dropping from about 36,500 infections to about 32,100—according to new CDC data published recently. The decline was driven by a 34 percent decrease in new infections among 13- to 24-year-olds, mostly among gay and bisexual males. HIV prevention efforts must go further and progress must be faster, however, for gains to reach populations equitably and for national goals to end the HIV epidemic to be reached. Read more from the CDC here.
FEATURED TOPICS
May 31 Is World No Tobacco Day

Smoking rates among U.S. adults are at an all-time low. While this is good news, smoking and tobacco use still have significant health and economic implications for the global population.
On May 31, the World Health Organization (WHO) observes World No Tobacco Day. This day is a powerful reminder of the tobacco epidemic that persists worldwide. Individuals and communities can take action against tobacco use. Also, World No Tobacco Day can empower people wanting to quit smoking for good.
Adult Smoking Rates Have Dropped
Last year, U.S. smoking rates dropped to one in nine adults or about 11%, an all-time low compared to 42% in the 1960s. However, adult use of electronic cigarettes rose to about one in 17. These findings come from a National Center for Health Statistics survey of over 27,000 adults.
NIOSH Recently Launched a New National Firefighter Registry to Understand and Reduce Cancer for Firefighters

Firefighters sign up for the job knowing they will put their lives on the line to serve and protect the public from fires. Unfortunately, burgeoning data shows that these critical first responder communities across the country might also be facing threats to their health over the long term due to their heroic occupation. While much more information is still needed about the link between cancer and firefighting, it has been compelling enough for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to create a National Firefighter Registry for Cancer. This registry is the nation’s largest effort that works to explore cancer occurrences in the firefighter community nationwide.
Whether you’re a current firefighter, a retired firefighter, or a public health communicator, being aware of the ongoing research evaluating cancer incidence in firefighters is crucial. Here’s what you need to know about why this research push is needed, the various exposures that firefighters face, the potential long-term impacts on their health, and what’s on the horizon for the newly-created cancer registry.
Why Has the NIOSH Created a New Cancer Registry?
In a press release in mid-April 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the launch of its new National Firefighter Registry for Cancer, encouraging all U.S. Firefighters to join. According to the CDC, the registry's goals are to understand and reduce cancer in the fire service.
Period Poverty and a New Connecticut Law Addressing Menstrual Equity

If you’ve ever needed a menstrual hygiene product but didn’t have one at your disposal, then you know the agony and discomfort associated with not having access to menstrual supplies. Unfortunately, for many menstruating students across the country, lacking access to menstrual products is not an uncommon occurrence. In fact, estimates show that period poverty, defined as a “lack of access to menstrual products, menstrual health education, hygiene management, waste facilities or any combination of these barriers,” affects nearly a quarter of teens in the state of Connecticut alone.
Whether you are a member of the general public or a public health communicator, the only way to confront the issue of menstrual inequity—and its impact on education and public health—is through advocacy.
Here’s what you need to know about period poverty and a new Connecticut law that requires schools to offer free menstrual products to all students in 3rd through 12th grade.
Recognizing the Epidemic of Loneliness During National Mental Health Awareness Month

Now that the COVID-19 public health emergency has been lifted, another type of public health crisis—known as loneliness—has come to the forefront of national attention. At the beginning of May, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, called for action regarding the ongoing epidemic of loneliness and isolation. In his general advisory issued on May 3, 2023, he reported that even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, “approximately half of U.S. adults reported experiencing measurable levels of loneliness.” This loneliness can lead to an increased risk of mental health challenges, and it can increase your risk of dying from premature death, similar to smoking 15 cigarettes every day.
May is recognized as Mental Health Month, a designation that has existed since 1949. This year’s themed campaign for Mental Health Month is #MoreThanEnough which, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), reinforces that everyone is “inherently worthy of life, love, and healing, regardless of their diagnosis, appearance, socioeconomic status, background or ability.”
The month of May also includes several important health holidays related to mental health, including National Postpartum Psychosis Awareness Day (May 6), National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day (May 7), Mental Health Action Day (May 19), World Meditation Day (May 21), and National Schizophrenia and Psychosis Awareness Day (May 24).
Podcast
"Public Health Speaks"
CDC Online Newsroom
- Transcript: Mpox Briefing
- Update on Rapid Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission at 2023 EIS Conference
- HIV Declines Among Young People and Drives Overall Decrease in New HIV Infections
- New Funding Opportunity to Strengthen Outbreak Response through Data, Forecasting, and Analytics
- Transcript: PHE Briefing
- Walensky Announces Departure from CDC
- CDC's Disease Detectives Give First-Hand Accounts from the Front Lines of Public Health
- CDC simplifies COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, allows older adults and immunocompromised adults to get second dose of the updated vaccine
CDC Latest COVID-19 Science Update
CDC FluView Weekly Summary
CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
- Evaluation of the Cherokee Nation Hepatitis C Virus Elimination Program - Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma, 2015-2020
- QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Have Been Bothered a Lot by Headache or Migraine in the Past 3 Months, by Sex and Age Group - National Health Interview Survey, 2021
- Notes from the Field: Update on Pediatric Intracranial Infections - 19 States and the District of Columbia, January 2016-March 2023
- Notes from the Field: Pediatric Intracranial Infections - Clark County, Nevada, January-December 2022
- Estimates of SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence and Incidence of Primary SARS-CoV-2 Infections Among Blood Donors, by COVID-19 Vaccination Status - United States, April 2021-September 2022
NPHIC YouTube Channel
-
CDC ZOHU Call May 3, 2023
06 June 2023
-
Wear a Mask So You Won’t Get Sick - Audio Description
06 June 2023
-
Wear a Mask So You Won’t Get Sick
06 June 2023
-
Is Sex the Only Way I Can Get Mpox?
06 June 2023
-
Hágase una prueba de COVID-19 en casa
06 June 2023
-
CDC Signos Vitales: Eliminar el VIH como una amenaza a la salud pública global
06 June 2023
-
PMGR: Recovery Kentucky: A Successful Model of Addressing Substance Use Disorder
06 June 2023
-
PMGR: Recovery Kentucky: A Successful Model of Addressing Substance Use Disorder - Audio Description
06 June 2023