LATEST NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Free Health Literacy Resources Available for Health Literacy Month
For Health Literacy Month this October, the Institute of Museum and Library Services is highlighting free health literacy resources through its Information Literacy Initiative, which helps people build skills to find, evaluate, and use information.
InformationLiteracy.gov offers educators and museum and library professionals ready-to-use lesson plans, activities, teaching strategies, and other resources designed to support health literacy in communities, classrooms, and homes. The initiative also includes resources addressing science, artificial intelligence, digital, and financial literacy.
The effort highlights opportunities for public health communicators and community partners to connect audiences with accessible tools for strengthening health information skills.
State of Obesity Report 2026: Better Policies for a Healthier America
New data from Trust for America’s Health’s 2026 State of Obesity report show that adult obesity raState of Obesity Report 2026: Better Policies for a Healthier Americates remained stable nationally in 2025, but the number of states with rates at or above 35% increased to 21, up from 19 in 2024.
About 4 in 10 U.S. adults have obesity, while more than 21% of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 have obesity, based on 2021–2023 data. Louisiana and West Virginia were the only states with statistically significant declines in adult obesity rates.
The findings highlight persistent geographic disparities and the importance of sustained prevention, nutrition, and food security efforts. Read TFAH’s full report here.
PHCC Resource: Ready-to-Share Respiratory Virus Season Content
The Public Health Communications Collaborative (PHCC) has released new ready-to-share resources to help communities prepare for respiratory virus season and communicate about flu, RSV and COVID-19 vaccination.
The materials include quick guides for children and adults, explanations of respiratory vaccine recommendations, a step-by-step vaccination guide and an overview of respiratory virus season. Additional customizable resources in English and Spanish are planned for release in the coming weeks.
The resources give local public health communicators timely tools to support clear, accurate vaccine communication and help communities understand what to expect during the upcoming respiratory virus season. Find PHCC’s new ready-to-share respiratory virus season content here.
FEATURED TOPICS
CDC Launches New Tool to Track U.S. Overdose Trends
Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. are declining, while CDC’s new Overdose Prevention Data Channel provides a centralized view of fatal and nonfatal overdose trends.
From April 2025 through March 2026, the predicted provisional number of drug overdose deaths was 67,798—a 12.3% decrease from the previous year. The channel integrates data from the National Vital Statistics System, Nonfatal Drug Overdose Surveillance and Epidemiology System, and State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System.
It allows users to examine national and state-level trends, identify prevention strategies, and see how CDC-funded programs are supporting communities, strengthening access to timely overdose data for public health response.
Is Mpox Here to Stay? CDC Study Says Virus is Likely Becoming Endemic
Mpox is continuing to spread at low levels in the United States, suggesting the virus may be transitioning toward endemic circulation rather than remaining linked primarily to travel.
In 2024 and 2025, 76% of U.S. mpox cases occurred among unvaccinated people, who were nearly 10 times more likely to be hospitalized than those who received both Jynneos vaccine doses. Mpox remains most common among men who have sex with men, while transmission can occur through close contact, including within households.
The findings highlight the importance of vaccination for people at increased risk and ongoing monitoring of transmission. Read more from CIDRAP here.
More Than One Third of U.S. Counties Are Maternity Care Deserts
Maternity care access remains limited across much of the U.S., with 34.6% of counties classified as maternity care deserts and more than half lacking a hospital with labor and delivery services.
The March of Dimes found little change since 2016, while 57.9% of rural counties lack a practicing obstetric clinician. Financial pressures, low rural birth volumes, inadequate Medicaid reimbursement, hospital staffing shortages, and potential Medicaid cuts could further reduce access, particularly in rural communities.
By 2035, all but six states are projected to have an inadequate supply of obstetric clinicians. Longer travel distances can contribute to missed prenatal and postpartum care and delayed treatment of pregnancy complications. Read more from Time here.
Complaining About Bad Coverage Is the Surest Way to Amplify It
Public health communicators facing unfavorable media coverage should consider that public complaints can substantially amplify the original story and its negative framing.
A company executive’s social media response to a July 9 Wired article generated 437,000 views on the first day and 2.3 million within several days, compared with fewer than 15,000 views for Wired’s promotional post. The response shifted attention from the article’s reporting to the company’s dispute over its framing, while potentially overshadowing more favorable coverage.
The episode highlights the importance of weighing engagement gains against the longer-term communications risks of publicly amplifying unfavorable coverage. Read the article from PR News here.
