DOVER, DEL. (July 8, 2024) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) invites the public to explore My Healthy Community, a platform for Delaware’s environmental health data, during National Environmental Public Health Tracking Awareness Week. This annual observance, from July 8 to July 12, is dedicated to empowering communities to use heath data to make informed decisions on policy and community improvement. During this time, the Delaware Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (known as the DPH Tracking Program) will also join the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to highlight important environmental health issues and showcase the various features of My Healthy Community.

Working to build public health capacity and expertise in environmental health surveillance, the DPH Tracking Program helps empower people to make information-driven decisions that affect their health. My Healthy Community is a one-stop resource for individuals, communities, and organizations in Delaware to explore various datasets and view key findings pertaining to communities, county, and state. The program carefully curates this database to provide timely and accurate information on local conditions and its impacts on public health.

My Healthy Community data can be viewed in dynamic maps, charts, and graphs and is downloadable. The platform allows users to explore past health data to gain valuable insights into their community’s health trends. By analyzing historical data, users can track changes in various diseases, risk factors, and health outcomes over time.

My Healthy Community’s unique data include the following:

• Climate and Health
• COVID-19
• Drug Overdose Deaths
• Influenza
• Lead

During National Environmental Public Health Tracking Awareness Week, the CDC and partners such as DPH highlight important nationwide environmental health issues and showcase the work of the tracking programs. Governor John Carney and Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long proclaimed July 8-12, 2024, as Environmental Public Health Tracking Awareness Week in Delaware. It is the first time the observance has been recognized in Delaware, and 2024 will mark the ninth annual celebration for the CDC.

“DPH applauds Governor Carney and Lieutenant Governor Hall-Long for declaring this week as Environmental Public Health Tracking Awareness Week in Delaware,” said DPH Director Steven Blessing. “This significant declaration underscores the importance of monitoring and understanding environmental health issues to ensure public wellbeing.”

The theme for this year’s Tracking Awareness Week is “Be a Data Explorer!” Throughout the week, DPH will highlight five themes on social media:

• Data discovery: Embrace the role of a data explorer by seeking environmental health data, which can help inform public health actions.
• Tools of the trade: Utilize the essential My Healthy Community tracking tools to enhance your data exploration.
• Adventures in teamwork: Discover how DPH works with partners to expand, improve and use environmental health data and resources.
• Road to success: See success stories in action – how DPH uses these data to improve processes, policies, and communities.
• Future directions: Plan a new data adventure by learning about DPH Tracking Program’s future advancements to My Healthy Community.

For more information about My Healthy Community, visit https://myhealthycommunity.dhss.delaware.gov/home/. To learn more about National Environmental Tracking Awareness Week, go to https://www.cdc.gov/environmental-health-tracking/php/about/tracking-awareness-week.html#cdc_program_profile_next_step-get-involved. Connect with DPH on Facebook and Instagram for the latest My Healthy Community updates and more.

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