Last week Mayor Rawlings-Blake and Dr. Wen joined City leaders to announce Baltimore City’s Zika Preparedness Plan to educate the public about the Zika virus and coordinate a citywide response to help prevent the spread of the virus. Baltimore’s Citywide Zika Plan will be the first in Maryland, and aims to serve as a model for other cities.

As of today, Maryland has had 12 confirmed cases of Zika virus infection. All have been related to travel to areas with ongoing transmission; none have involved local transmission.

During mosquito season, there is the potential for local transmission in Baltimore if an individual with travel associated Zika is bitten by a mosquito and that mosquito then bites other residents.. Zika cannot be transmitted via casual contact (i.e. shaking someone’s hand), but can be transmitted through sexual contact. It can also be transmitted from a pregnant mother to her baby.

In February, Mayor Rawlings-Blake announced the formation of a Strategic Zika Preparedness Task Force. Chaired by Dr. Wen and the Health Department team, this Task Force convened high-level representatives from nearly 20 city agencies to determine recommendations and assess the capacity for a city-wide response to the Zika virus. The citywide plan, based on the Working Group’s recommendations to prevent the potential spread of the Zika virus in Baltimore, consists of two major components:

1. Develop and implement citywide mosquito control plan.

Baltimore City will restart the mosquito surveillance and control program, which has been inactive since 2007. This will involve:

• Targeted spraying in affected areas with adulticide and larvacide in response to confirmed cases of Zika;
• Starting responses to standing water through 311 and coordinating environmental sanitarians to distribute larvacide;
• Conducting mosquito surveillance to identify mosquitoes that may carry Zika; and
• Increasing the City’s capacity to investigate possible cases of Zika and conduct community outreach.

Additionally, Baltimore City will provide Zika prevention kits for 9,000 pregnant women (which may include permethrin, repellent, condoms, and larvacide).

2. Conduct widespread public education.

Over the last several months, BCHD has conducted extensive public education around the Zika virus and its potential impact on the region. Under the plan, we will continue to:

• Distribute educational materials and messaging through media, social media, and community outreach;
• Disseminate educational materials to all city agencies;
• Continue to regularly update hospitals and providers across the city with the latest CDC guidance; and
• Engage in targeted outreach for pregnant women through the B’More for Healthy Babies program, as well as obstetric providers, Health Care Access Maryland (HCAM), Baltimore City Department of Social Services (BCDSS), and other entities.

In addition, BCHD will soon release a Zika Ambassador Program (ZAP) and informational packets that will provide City agencies, community based organizations, neighborhood associations, and individuals with the information they need to be aware of Zika, how to prevent it, and how to educate others. Through the ZAP, the Health Department will also hold “train the trainer” sessions for individuals from community based organizations to learn about Zika and receive the tools necessary to educate individuals they serve in their community.

Our Zika Working Group will continue to monitor this quickly evolving situation and will provide recommendations and updates as the latest information becomes available and will ensure coordination and rapid deployment of resources as necessary.

In the meantime, to learn more about the Zika virus, including information for women who are, may become pregnant, and their partners, as well as tips to prevent the potential spread of the virus, please visit: http://health.baltimorecity.gov/zika-virus/

The CDC has additional information including the latest travel guidance, available at: http://www.cdc.gov/zika/

We will be providing regular updates on our website at http://health.baltimorecity.gov/zika-virus and on twitter @BMore_Healthy, during the spring and summer months.

This week we have continued to do outreach in Baltimore to train citizens how to save a life from overdose with naloxone.  BCHD has conducted several trainings throughout the city including at a community college, mental health support facility and a treatment center.

Last week our staff, with the help of many dedicated volunteers led naloxone trainings outside of polling stations.  We have trained about 300 people to use naloxone in the past three weeks.

If you would like to learn more about naloxone and get trained and certified to carry it, visit www.dontdie.org/getcertified.

Contradictions. Juxtapositions. Mindfulness. Just a few words to describe these stunning images to address the stigma surrounding sexual identity and health. BCHD is proud to present the launch of #ProjectPresence.   

On Saturday, May 14th from 5 PM - 8 PM at Impact Hub Baltimore (10 E North Ave, Baltimore, Maryland 21201), artist/photographer Richard Mitchell will premiere a new exhibit developed in collaboration with BCHD to highlight a spectrum of stories documenting Baltimore's charming LGBTQ community.

SPACE IS LIMITED! Please RSVP through our email admin@baltimoreinconversation.com

You can also share the event with friends on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/582934221872328/

Meet the cast and crew and join the conversation for a healthier and a more inclusive Baltimore.

We can't wait to see you there!

Thank you for joining us for the Baltimore City Health Department's latest B’More Health Talk!

Last week’s discussion focused around issues of trauma, mental health, and the development of the new citywide strategy on trauma and emotional well-being. Thank you  again to our panelists:

• Jan Desper Peters, Executive Director, Black Mental Health Alliance;
• Dr. Laurel Kiser, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry University of Maryland School of Medicine;
• Karen Kreisberg, Executive Director, The Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund, The Fund for Change, and The Bancroft Foundation;
• Annette March Grier, President and Co-founder, Roberta’s House; and
• Lynn Mumma, Vice President of Strategy, Behavioral Health System Baltimore

These twice-monthly virtual town hall meetings are an opportunity for leaders in our community to discuss efforts to reduce health disparities, engage in our city's collaborative strategy, and share the work that organizations are doing.

As always, you can join us by calling 605-562-3180 and using the access code 117-245-291 and tweet-chat live with the hashtag #BMoreHealthTalks.

In the meantime, we hope you will email us at bmoreheard@baltimorecity.gov with suggestions, ideas, or comments for this and future episodes.

You can listen to all of our past Bmore Health Talks on our Soundcloud.  

Join the Greater Baltimore Asthma Alliance (GBAA) as we partner with Docs In The Park (DITP) on Saturday, May 14th from 11am - 3pm to be sure that city residents know how to take charge of their asthma. This activity-focused event will take place at ABC Park (501 S. Catherine Street 21223) and will feature basketball, hula hoops, a "bounce house", asthma control tips, and lots of other fun things for kids and their parents.  

Baltimore City children bear more than their fair share of the burden of asthma.  In 2014, there were more than 5,700 pediatric emergency room visits for asthma, and over 800 hospitalizations.  Join us to help reduce the impact asthma has on our kids.

For more information contact Margret Schnitzer at margret.schnitzer@baltimorecity.gov  or call 410-396-3848.

Get your strut on while raising awareness about HIV/AIDS among women and girls in your community. 

The Purse & Pumps 1 Mile Awareness Walk will take place at Druid Hill Park’s Sundial Pavilion from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on Saturday, May 14th. 

Bring your friends for a day to remember! 

For more information contact the BCHD STD/HIV Prevention Program: jillian.newsam@baltimorecity.gov or Vonda.colson@baltimorecity.gov.