Press Releases

North Carolina’s infant mortality rate decreased to 7.1 deaths per 1,000 births, compared with a 2016 rate of 7.2 and a 2015 rate of 7.3, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' 2017 infant mortality rates. While the racial disparity between birth outcomes for white infants and African-American infants remains unacceptably high, there was a reduction in the gap in birth outcomes.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed the first death related to an ongoing outbreak of hepatitis A affecting parts of North Carolina. The death occurred in October. To protect the privacy of the family, additional details about the case are not being released.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced that it has received results from blood and urine samples of 30 people living near Chemours’ Fayetteville Works facility who rely on well water and were evaluated for the presence of GenX and 16 other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also referred to as PFAS.

North Carolina will receive $27 million over the next year to fight the state's opioid epidemic by getting people off opioids and preventing others from misusing them, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. Grants include $23 million from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and $4 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will administer both grants.

Due to the increased populations of mosquitoes caused by flooding from Hurricane Florence, Governor Roy Cooper ordered $4 million to fund mosquito control efforts in counties currently under a major disaster declaration.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, officials with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services are encouraging nurses, physicians, behavioral health professionals and others interested in volunteering to help people impacted by the storm to get connected with the appropriate resources and organizations

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has announced flexibility for families enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program to help those affected by Hurricane Florence. This temporary flexibility will apply to participants enrolled in the WIC program whose WIC office is closed or experiencing hardships related to impacts from the hurricane.  

As North Carolinians prepare for Hurricane Florence, officials with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services are cautioning people about the risks of using gasoline-powered generators and outdoor grills and camp stoves that use charcoal or propane gas in enclosed spaces.

Today is Overdose Awareness Day in North Carolina. Proclaimed by Governor Roy Cooper, we're pausing today to remember loved ones lost to overdose and to learn what can be done to help those who struggle with substance use disorder. In 2016, four North Carolinians died each day from unintentional medication or drug overdose.

As North Carolina's tobacco-free schools law marks its 10th anniversary, the state has seen cigarette smoking reduce 50 percent among high schoolers since 2008, but the latest N.C. Youth Tobacco Survey, published in June, shows that more than 16 percent of North Carolina high school students use e-cigarettes, and 23 percent stated they are considering use of these products in the coming year.