Press Releases

Based on preliminary data, 172 new cases of hepatitis B and 186 new cases of hepatitis C were reported across the state in 2016. An estimated 110,000 to 150,000 North Carolinians have a chronic hepatitis C infection, and 25,000 to 66,000 have a chronic hepatitis B infection.

North Carolina is a recipient of more than $31 million to address the opioid crisis through the 21st Century Cures Act, State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grants.

The North Carolina Division of Public Health is encouraging North Carolinians to make sure they are up-to-date on their vaccines after seven mumps cases were identified in North Carolina residents in April.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is seeking additional public input on the transformation of the Medicaid and NC Health Choice programs.

The Weatherization Assistance Program helps low-income families save on energy and expenses by installing materials that create a safe, comfortable and energy-efficient home environment.

State health officials are encouraging North Carolinians to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as a part of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Awareness Month, observed in April.

Twenty flu deaths were reported in North Carolina for the week ending March 11, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. 

An additional 17 flu deaths were reported in North Carolina for the week ending March 4, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Flu activity has started to decrease but the virus is still widespread in the state.

DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen, MD, is calling on thousands of clinicians across North Carolina to join the fight against opioid addiction in North Carolina, a crisis that has seen more than 13,000 North Carolinians die unnecessarily from unintentional overdoses since 1999.

The number of confirmed flu cases and flu-related deaths is rising in North Carolina as the peak of the 2016-17 flu season nears, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is notifying affected citizens and the U.S. Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights of a Nov. 30, 2016, incident in which protected health information was sent to health care providers via an unencrypted email.

A child in the western part of the state died Jan. 24 from complications associated with influenza infection.

Mandy K. Cohen, MD, MPH, has joined the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services as its Secretary, following her appointment Jan. 13, 2017, by Governor Roy Cooper.

Influenza activity and flu-related deaths are rising in North Carolina as the peak of the 2016-17 flu season nears. 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services encourages adding healthy and smart lifestyle choices to New Year’s resolutions for the coming year.

Teens in foster care in North Carolina may continue receiving support services from their 18^th to their 21^st birthdays through Foster Care 18 to 21, which begins Jan. 1. 

State health officials encourage North Carolinians to take health and safety precautions during the winter months.

As Governor Pat McCrory’s administration winds down, I would like to call to mind some of the significant accomplishments achieved during the past four years through the Department of Health and Human Services under the Governor’s leadership and with his support. 

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Secretary Rick Brajer has been presented the John Baggett Advocate Award from the North Carolina chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).