LAS CRUCES – The New Mexico State University Nursing School, the New Mexico Department of Health and Las Cruces Public Schools are collaborating to provide immunization clinics in seven LCPS middle schools in late February and early March. Sixth-grade students will receive a dose of the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis) vaccine. The Department of Health and the district require all students entering seventh grade to get a Tdap vaccination. Infants and children receive vaccinations for these diseases, but…

BEIJING (AP) — China is ordering makers of films and TV shows to limit the amount of smoking depicted on-screen, the latest effort to curb rampant tobacco use in the country with the largest number of smokers in the world. The order from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television viewed Tuesday on its website orders producers to minimize plot lines and scenes involving tobacco and show smoking only when necessary for artistic purposes or character development. Minors under…

In the colonias along the Texas-Mexico border, researching have reported that the health of the people in these areas is often far worse than those outside, showing a link between poverty and health. Within the 350 Texas colonias, almost 45,000 residents have been classified as being of the “highest health risk” by the state. This means these people have “no running water, no wastewater treatment, no paved roads or solid waste disposal. Water- and mosquito-borne illnesses are rampant, the result…

LAS CRUCES – Melanie McCann knew her daughter was different, “from the minute she came out of my body.” Savannah Lynn McCann was happy, smart and artistic, having already adopted a symbol of herself – “her famous flying heart,” her mom calls it, a heart with wings that symbolized the Desert Hills Elementary third-grader’s strong will when it came to living, and all life, no matter how small. At Disneyland, Savannah spent her time taking amazing photos – of flowers….

LAS CRUCES – When you are diagnosed with a chronic disease like diabetes, heart disease or arthritis, the news can leave you more questions than answers about how to manage the disease and still live an active and full life. Christopher Lucero, program manager of the New Mexico Department of Health’s Arthritis Program, said the most important thing people can do to manage their disease is to learn about ways you can manage the disease and to not look at…

Catholic Healthcare West recently awarded a $13,000 grant to the American Lung Association for training and resources for health educators in Yuma and Flagstaff. CHW is the parent organization of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. Every year, CHW and its hospitals support nonprofit organizations that provide care for multiple chronic health conditions in Arizona communities. This year, the organization granted $425,000 in grants to 12 Arizona organizations as part of its Community Grants Program. Marisue Garganta, director of Community…

SAINT-MARC, Haiti—The cholera epidemic that has raged across this country is claiming fewer victims, with a sharp drop in new cases everywhere from the shimmering rice fields of the Artibonite Valley to the crowded urban slums. It is a welcome development, but tinged with doubt: It’s not yet known whether the epidemic that has killed nearly 4,000 people is fading or merely taking a break, only to surge again perhaps with the onset of the next rainy season. “The general…

The best way to prevent an outbreak is to be proactive against it. That is the goal of the Oral Rabies Vaccination Program in El Paso, which is targeting area coyotes and foxes. Dr. Ken Waldrup, a zoonosis control veterinarian with the Texas Department of State Health Services, is head of the program that distributed a special bait containing a vaccine that is 75 percent effective and attractive to coyotes and foxes, last week in the El Paso area. Of…

WASHINGTON – Most states’ anti-smoking efforts are “failing miserably” because they were underfunded last year and officials spent new cigarette-tax revenue on unrelated programs, the American Lung Association said Thursday. Tobacco-prevention programs in 40 states and the District of Columbia earned grades of “F” in a report issued by the Washington-based group because they received less than half the funding recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Texas ranked Fs in three categories of the report card: Tobacco…

PHOENIX — Though Arizona consistently earns high marks for its smoke-free air, the state’s ratings for coverage of smokers trying to quit slid to an F in the American Lung Association’s 2010 report card. In the report released last week, Arizona fell from a D in that category because it spends $2.89 per person to help smokers quit, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends $10.53. That low grade made two Fs among the four categories. The other…