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4 <br /> ITEM ILD. <br /> Orange County Board of Health. <br /> Meeting Date: January 28, 19" <br /> Agenda Abstract <br /> FROM: Personal Health <br /> SUBJECT: Syphilis Elimination Grant Funds <br /> ATTACHMENT(s)-, Award Letter <br /> Early Syphilis Cases 1994-1998 <br /> PURPOSE: To accept the funds from the NCDHHS for the Syphilis <br /> Elimination Grant as previously presented to the Board of Health. <br /> BACKGROUND: North Carolina has one of the highest rates of syphilis <br /> in the country. The NC Division of Health and Human Services(DHHS)took advantage <br /> of a request for proposal by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC)in <br /> Atlanta to eliminate syphilis and applied for grant funds to be used in five counties. <br /> Unfortunately one of the emerging pockets of "early"syphilis is here in Orange County. <br /> For calendar year 1998, Orange Count <br /> . Y had 39 cases of early syphilis reported. In <br /> addition,many contacts have been treated as well,although their lab results have not <br /> been positive. The proposal calls for an outreach worker to be hired by each county to <br /> work within the community affected for the grant period to conduct community education <br /> and to encourage high-risk individuals to change their behavior and to present themselves <br /> for testing and possible treatment. The grant period is for one year,commencing <br /> December 1, 1998. <br /> In Orange County,there may be two pockets of concern—one in northern Orange and <br /> one in the southern portion of the county. OCHD has recommended and been approved <br /> by the state to hire two half_-time temporary outreach workers, one in each community of <br /> concern. <br /> RECOMMENDED ACTION: To accept the funds and authorize the staffto <br /> proceed with implem' entation. <br />