Opioid overdoses claimed the lives of at least 2, 458 Canadians last year. Two people die every day in Ontario because of this issue. The Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit and the Chatham-Kent Drug Awareness Council invite you to join us on Thursday, August 31st for International Overdose Awareness Day. A community memorial event will be taking place from 7:00pm-9:00pm at … Read More
Chlamydia Alert!
Chlamydia alert! Many cases of Chlamydia are being missed. If you are sexually active, take note. A pap test is not a sexually transmitted infection (STI) test. A pap test checks for abnormal cervical cells only. You can ask for an STI swab to be done at the same time as your pap OR just pee in a bottle to … Read More
Do you have a child enrolled in Daycare?
Did you know… Chatham-Kent Public Health is required by Ontario law to maintain immunization records for every child attending daycare and school. The Health Unit assesses immunization records to ensure they are accurate and up-to-date. This is done to protect your child in the event of an outbreak of a vaccine preventable disease. By law, these immunizations are mandatory: diphtheria, … Read More
Gonorrhea, the new “superbug”
Gonorrhea has been on the rise in Canada. It is now being called a “superbug” because some cases are not responding to treatment. Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that spreads through unprotected oral, genital, and anal sex. It spreads so easily because there are often no symptoms. If left untreated, gonorrhea can lead to serious complications, like Pelvic … Read More
Heat Related Illness
Symptoms of heat-related illness may include: rapid breathing dizziness or fainting vomiting rapid heartbeat extreme thirst and decreased urination with unusually dark yellow urine. If anyone has these symptoms, we suggest the following to cool off as soon as possible: move to a shaded or air conditioned area drink plenty of fluids, and rest Contact your health care practitioner, a friend … Read More
Community Mental Health Survey
Chatham-Kent Public Health will be rolling out a phone survey to randomly selected adults (18+) in Chatham-Kent in the coming weeks. The purpose of the survey is to gather information about mental health awareness, attitudes and knowledge of supports and services in Chatham-Kent. Most people will face mental health challenges at some point in their lives, either personally or through … Read More
Time In or Time Out
Spending ‘Time-In’ With Your Child Many parents have shared stories of having to stand by their child’s bedroom door to ensure that their child stays in a time-out or listen to their child’s increasing screams when they were supposed to be calming down. In a time-out, the upset child is removed from the situation for a specific amount of time … Read More
Your Baby’s Sleep
Sleep is very important for a child’s growth and development. Newborns when awake are usually feeding and when done want to go back to sleep. Playtime is short at this age. For new parents it is difficult to know how often and how long a newborn should sleep. The average newborn sleeps much of the day and night but sleeps … Read More
Tips to Stay Cool
Extremely hot weather and humidity can be very dangerous. Follow these steps to “STAY COOL” this summer: Frequently visit neighbours, friends and older family members, especially those who are chronically ill, to make sure that they are cool and hydrated. Drink plenty of cool liquids, especially water, before you feel thirsty to decrease your risk of dehydration. Thirst is not … Read More
Emergency Preparedness on a Budget – Get Started Today!
Preparing for emergencies at the personal and family level can help to reduce negative impacts on you and your family in the event of an emergency. Sometimes it can be hard to spend money preparing for emergencies that have not happened, when there are so many other things we could be spending it on. There are many things you can … Read More
Legalization of Cannabis
Are you prepared to talk with your kids about cannabis use? Research shows that, on average, Canadian youth start using cannabis at 15 years old. Many people believe cannabis is harmless because it is “natural.” The truth is that cannabis can affect brain development up until age 25. This means it can cause long-term memory impairment, mental health problems, decreased … Read More