Agenda - 10-19-1999 - 9e - Laserfiche WebLink

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.~ 9 ~ participant responses. The specific intervention strategies recommended for Guilford County aze: _ 1. ~ Increase S'I'D, specifically syphilis, knowledge in the community. 2. Increase awareness of health department STD services. . ;. Increase'community-level and street outreach to the, affected communities. 4. Improve public health professionals' health education skills. ~. Promote and facilitate access to drug treatment. 6. Improve access to the at-risk population by collaborating with external partners (e.Q. family planning, V~~IC, battered women shelters, jails, housing authority, drug treatment, parks anal recreation) to provide STD information, screening, and treatment services: 7. Increase mutually supportive and collaborative partnerships between and among community-based organizations and the health department. S. Conduct evaluations of existing prevention strategies. Although developed for fiord County, the similarities of the syphilis epidemics in the five counties lead us to believe that~these recommendations are excellent planning tools for this five- county syphilis elimination project. The health services available specifically for STDs in the five-county target area include one on- site clinic in each county health depar~nent, open five days per week. In addition, serologic testing for syphilis is currently performed by a small number of community-based organizations in this area. Ek-tension of serologic testing services to better reach the population at high risk is clearly needed and is one of the goals of this project. Partner notification services are provided by ten DIS who serve this area; these staff aze responsible for all syphilis and HIS cases in their area, but do not perfoim any follow-up for other STD cases.. Surveillance for STDs in the five- county azea is largely passive. Occasional reminders are sent to private physicians to encourage reporting. In addition, laboratory reporting of positive serologic tests for syphilis is legally mandated and provides another route for identification of cases to the State. North Carolina does not currently have any special surveillance azrangements to identify cases in jails, emergency rooms, drug treatment centers, or other entities which servehigh-risk populations. . ~._-. The local county health directors from this five-county area met in September, 1997 to discuss the escalating syphilis epidemic in the area. In addition to pro~nding accessible and prompt STD diaQn.asis and treatment, the group agreed ta: 1) designate an outbreak response team of 1-2 . _ people from each county to assist other. counties in syphilis intervention when indicated by morbidity, including worlan.g with the Section in RI.O.T. preparations and efforts when needed; 2) work with the Section to continue to facilitate communication and collaboration between local health departments, CBOs and private providers; and ~) discuss syphilis and other STDs at the regional health directors conference every quarter. The health directors have subsequently given the syphilis elimination project, as outlined here, their full support. ~~ 4