Press Releases

About 1.2 million North Carolinians, or nearly 11% of the state’s population, don’t know where their next meal is coming from. To ensure North Carolina children, families and older adults have enough food and good nutrition, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today released the NCDHHS State Action Plan for Nutrition Security. This plan is part of the department’s larger strategic goal to support child and family well-being.

The 31st annual North Carolina Paramedic Competition will take place Sunday, April 30, at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center, pitting the 2022 state champs from Mecklenburg EMS against five teams that clinched the right to challenge them during regional championships this summer.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall on Thursday, April 27, from 6 to 7 p.m., to discuss how North Carolinians can access and understand health-related information so they can improve their own health.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live Cafecito and Spanish-language tele-town hall on Wednesday, April 26, from 6 to 7 p.m., to discuss how essential it is for North Carolinians to learn how to access and understand health-related information so they can improve their own health.

Everyone older than six months will now only receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against more variants of the virus. People age 65 and older and those with a compromised immune system can now receive an additional dose to protect themselves against severe illness from COVID-19.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced a change to the Project Access COVID Tests program (Project ACT) that will allow all North Carolina households to request free, at-home COVID-19 tests through June 30, 2023. Residents are encouraged to order additional free tests while supplies last.

A program that helped 1.6 million children get healthy food for the last three years is coming to an end, NCDHHS announced today.

Syphilis cases in North Carolina are on the rise, increasing 23% from 2021 to 2022, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported today as part of Sexually Transmitted Infection Awareness Week.

Building on the success of a program in Mecklenburg County, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the development of pilot community-based programs to restore the capacity of people who the courts determine are Incapable to Proceed (ITP) to trial.

With warmer weather on the way, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services urges North Carolinians to "Fight the Bite" by taking measures to reduce their risk of tick- and mosquito-borne diseases.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced changes to its COVID-19 dashboard and state-funded testing sites as the federal public health emergency comes to an end May 11, 2023, and COVID-19 becomes part of a routine part of public health and health care activities.

Recognizing the role everyone plays in helping North Carolina’s children reach their untapped potential, Governor Roy Cooper declared April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, today released the North Carolina School Behavioral Health Action Plan to address the urgent mental and behavioral health crisis facing youth through key investments in our schools.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live Cafecito and Spanish-language tele-town hall on Tuesday, March 28, from 6 to 7 p.m. to discuss the importance of managing health with a focus on rural and farmworker communities and available resources across the state.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall on Thursday, March 23, from 6 to 7 p.m. to discuss the importance of whole person health with a focus on realities in rural communities and available resources across the state.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is cautioning families about certain infant formula that has been recalled by Perrigo for potentially containing a bacteria that can lead to illness in infants.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today launched an improved QuitlineNC, offering more services and ways for tobacco users to successfully quit smoking or stop using other tobacco products, including vaping and e-cigarettes. Those seeking to quit smoking can now access "Quit Coaches" through live chat or text, watch group videos and create a personalized dashboard to track their quitting progress.

School staff, mental health professionals and the community can learn how to expand support for K-12 students and families experiencing mental and behavioral health issues in a webinar from 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, March 15. The webinar is hosted by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the i2i Center for Integrative Health.

Today, the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood-PLUS (MCCYN-PLUS) initiative launches in North Carolina to make it easier for military families to access and afford quality child care from community providers. The program is funded and run by the U.S. Department of Defense and critical in our state as North Carolina is home to the fourth largest military presence in the nation.

North Carolina leaders are projecting shortages in direct care workers, nurses and other caregiving positions in the coming decade. At the same time, demand for these services is rising. To address this gap, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the North Carolina Department of Commerce are leading North Carolina’s new Caregiving Workforce Strategic Leadership Council.