Today, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) announces that it has received grant funding of $144,275 from the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) as part of its newly established State Partnerships Improving Nutrition Equity (SPINE) program. SPINE is a federal program that addresses food and nutrition security through sustainable and equitable actions that tackle economic and social conditions limiting food and nutrition security across the lifespan.

Abbott is initiating a proactive, voluntary recall of powder formulas, including Similac, Alimentum and EleCare manufactured in Sturgis, Mich., one of the company’s manufacturing facilities. The recall does not include any metabolic deficiency nutrition formulas.

Beginning today, following the expiration of the State Public Health Disaster Emergency Proclamation, Iowans can find COVID-19 reporting data on the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) website here. The data on the page will be updated weekly on Wednesdays. The reporting format more closely aligns COVID-19 with existing reporting standards for other respiratory viruses, like flu. This data will continue to give statewide partners and the public, a thorough understanding of disease prevalence throughout the state. The new format will contain data points that Iowans are used to seeing reported including positive test data and vaccine administration data. 

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) is recognizing February as American Heart Month. Heart disease can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and death. It is the leading cause of death in Iowa and nationwide.

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced that 94 community water systems in Iowa have been awarded Water Fluoridation Quality Awards from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The award recognizes water systems that achieved excellence in community water fluoridation by maintaining a consistent level of fluoride in drinking water throughout 2020. A total of 1,292 public water systems in 29 states received the award.