Filter by Topic
Filter by Year
Page last reviewed: May 18, 2024
News Releases
Fifteen health departments and one vital records and health statistics unit was awarded accreditation or reaccreditation status by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). PHAB’s comprehensive accreditation process showcases commitment to community health.
The Houston Health Department is pleased to announce the launch of www.thebasicshouston.org. The Basics Houston teaches parents and caregivers how to help children, ages 0-3, reach their full potential. The Five Basics include: Maximize Love, Manage Stress; Talk, Sing, and Point; Count, Group, and Compare; Explore Through Movement and Play; and Read and Discuss Stories.
Houstonians are facing the collision of two health emergencies: the COVID-19 pandemic and worsening opioid addiction. Houston first responders report a 17% increase in overdoses in the second quarter of 2020 compared to the same time period last year.
A weeklong awareness effort to curb the growing misuse and addiction to prescription pain medication in the region, where deaths in Harris County associated with opioid overdose are up 135% since 2013, was announced today at Houston City Hall by officials of the Houston Health Department, area municipalities and the University of Houston at Sugar Land in partnership with HCA Houston Healthcare.
The City of Houston and local agencies are working closer together to increase suicide awareness and prevention support for those who have bravely served our country, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced Thursday in conjunction with the start of National Suicide Prevention Month.
The Houston Health Department is working to address the opioid crisis before it becomes an epidemic in the city. Two recent grants, the first of their kind awarded to the health department, focus on reducing overdose deaths, referring people to treatment, providing education and improving data collection.
Nearly two-thirds of people who participated in the Hurricane Harvey Registry said they sometimes or often think about Harvey even when they didn’t mean to. Those who experienced home damage during Hurricane Harvey are far more likely to experience mental health difficulties, according to the Registry.