The AIDS Drug Assistance program provides 22 medications, including AZT and protease inhibitors to 3,403 Georgians. The Georgia Health Insurance Continuation program paid premiums for 280 people who would have otherwise lost their private insurance coverage and sought care in the public system. Changes in behavior can prevent diseases or reduce its affects and early identification can lessen complications of these conditions. Tobacco use contributes to more deaths in Georgia each year than alcohol, homicide, suicide, car accidents, fires and AIDS combined. A comprehensive tobacco program coordinates tobacco use prevention and control strategies, provides assistance on policy development, and serves as a resource center for tobacco issues.
Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the state affecting about one in three adults.
The Georgia Arthritis Report 2000 is the first in the nation to document the prevalence of the more than 100 types of this disease that causes any combination of pain, aching, stiffness and swelling in and around the joints. The Division's Stroke and Heart Attack Prevention programs served more than 15,000 Georgians with hypertension and other risk factors. New prevention programs seek to reduce risks for developing high blood pressure, diabetes, and other disabling conditions by focusing on improving nutrition and increasing physical activity through policy and environmental changes. This distribution system for public health drugs includes the overall supervision of the State DPH Pharmacy Warehouse, centrally located in Atlanta. Environmental health protection and injury prevention Public Health environmentalists conducted 65,127 food service inspections and 3,481 inspections of tourist accommodations, approved 60,203 new sewage systems, and tested 14,137 well water samples.