DHHS Celebrates US Antibiotics Awareness Week

Poster contest winners were awarded their plaques on Nov. 15 by DHHS staff and leadership. Back Row: Deputy Secretary Ben Money, Dr. Zack Moore, Assistant Secretary Mark Benton, Dr. James Lewis, Alexandra Sommers, Evelyn Foust. Middle row: Meg Sredl, Savannah Carrico, Deborah Dolan, Jennifer MacFarquhar. Front row: Damaris Cortez, Payton Brown, Peyton Cossey, Leah Hendren, Kara Dittrich, Audrey Fan, Maximilian Solomon.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services celebrated Antibiotic Awareness Week by announcing the winners of the “Be Antibiotics Aware: Smart Use, Best Care Campaign” poster contest on Nov. 15. Students from grades K–12 statewide were invited to submit artwork regarding antibiotic awareness and nine winners were selected and recognized.

Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed November 18–24 as Antibiotic Awareness Week in North Carolina to highlight the importance of appropriate antibiotic prescribing and use. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released an Annual Threats Report that states more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year and more than 35,000 people die as a result. During Antibiotic Awareness Week, the Division of Public Health is partnering with the CDC to improve antibiotic prescribing among health care providers, educate the public about appropriate use of antibiotics and fight antibiotic resistance.

The “Be Antibiotics Aware: Smart Use, Best Care Campaign” is the CDC’s national educational antibiotic awareness effort. In 2014 North Carolina became an active member of the campaign, further promoting DHHS’s goal to “advance the health and well-being of North Carolinians utilizing the programmatic tools of our department.”

DHHS believes in empowering families to be an active and informed participant in their health care.

Deputy Secretary for Health Services Ben Money and Assistant Secretary for Public Health Mark Benton, along with staff, celebrated this event recognizing the nine student winners during an awards ceremony. Winning posters will be printed and available for public distribution. Congratulations to our 2019 Antibiotic Awareness artwork competition winners.

Antibiotic Awareness Week artwork competition winners:

K-3rd Grade:

• 1st Place - Maximilian Solomon
• 2nd Place - Peyton Cossey

4th-8th Grade:

• 1st Place - Audrey Fan
• 2nd Place - Leah Hendren
• 3rd Place - Vaishnavi Thangavijayan    
• 4th Place - Kara Dittrich

9th-12th Grade:

• 1st Place - Airakaya Banks
• 2nd Place - Damaris Cortez
• 3rd Place - Payton Brown