Public Health

Latest California Healthline Stories

How To Get California Kids Physically Fit

We asked stakeholders and policymakers how the state could improve the physical fitness of California’s school children. Only one-third of fifth, seventh and ninth graders passed all six sections of the state’s annual physical fitness test last year.

Partnership Brings Clean Drinking Water to Central Valley Schools, Programs

Advocates hope a community-wide effort to provide clean drinking water for schools and Head Start programs in the Central Valley will serve as a model for other school districts dealing with contaminated water.

San Diego County’s 10-Year Public Health Initiative Shows Early Progress

Live Well, San Diego! is a 10-year public health project that calls on a wide range of community stakeholders to make changes both within and outside of the health care delivery system to reduce the burden of chronic disease. Three years in, county health officials are preparing to demonstrate the program’s effectiveness.

Invasive Mosquito Risks Spread of Dengue and Yellow Fever Diseases in Calif.

Kim Keyser of the San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District, Scott Morrow of the San Mateo County Public Health Department, Steve Mulligan of the Fresno County Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District and Russell Parman of the Santa Clara County Vector Control District spoke with California Healthline about the growing threat of several deadly tropical diseases in California, including dengue fever and yellow fever, because of the introduction of an invasive mosquito to the state.

Water Woes All Over California Policy Map

Water issues — from pollutants in drinking water to delayed funding of water projects and controversial relocation plans — are pervasive in California and probably will be for years to come, bringing with them direct and indirect public health repercussions.

Can Health Reform Help Reduce Violence?

Under the Affordable Care Act, more money and resources may be available for California communities to implement policies aimed at reducing street crime and domestic assault.

Getting Dental Care to Pregnant Women

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists announced new national guidelines for care this week that include an emphasis on providing dental care for pregnant women — something California advocates have been working on for years.

Public Health Agencies Under Pressure To Curb Growing Valley Fever Threat

Robert Levin of the Ventura County Public Health Department and George Rutherford of UC-San Francisco spoke with California Healthline about the growing concern among state and federal officials over the spread of valley fever in California.