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State
Program: Alabama
Capacity Building
The Alabama Department of Public Health began receiving funds from CDC in
1998 to support a state heart disease and stroke prevention program.
Burden of Heart Disease and Stroke
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Alabama, accounting
for 13,197 deaths or approximately 29% of the state's deaths in 2002.
(National Vital Statistics Report 2004;53(5)).
- Stroke is the third leading cause of death, accounting for
3,201
deaths or approximately 7% of the state's deaths in 2002. (National
Vital Statistics Report 2004;53(5)).
- According to Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
survey results, adults in Alabama reported the following risk
factors for heart disease and stroke:
In 2005,
- 31.2% had high blood pressure
- 38.3% of those screened reported having high blood cholesterol
In 2006,
- 10.0% had diabetes
- 23.2% were current smokers
- 65.0% were overweight or obese (Body
Mass Index greater than or equal to 25.0)
- 29.2% reported no exercise in the prior 30 days
Key Responsibilities
- Facilitate collaboration among public and private sector
partners, such as managed care organizations, health insurers,
federally funded health centers, businesses, priority population
organizations, and emergency response agencies.
- Define the burden of heart disease and stroke and assess
existing population–based strategies for primary and secondary
prevention of heart disease and stroke within the state.
- Develop and update a comprehensive state plan for heart disease
and stroke prevention with emphasis on heart-healthy policies
development, physical and social environments change, and
disparities elimination (e.g., based on geography, gender, race or
ethnicity, or socioeconomic status).
- Identify culturally appropriate approaches to promote heart
disease and stroke prevention among racial, ethnic, and other
priority populations.
- Use population-based public health strategies to
increase public awareness of the signs and symptoms of heart
diseases and stroke, the urgency of early treatment for heart
disease and stroke,
and the need to call 9–1–1.
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State Highlights
- The Alabama Cardiovascular Health (CVH) program collaborates with the Office of EMS to
assess the training needs of EMS personnel and improve the emergency
response to cardiovascular incidents. They have completed a county–level
map of 9–1–1 coverage (i.e., basic, enhanced, or none) in the state.
Additionally, the State Medical Control Committee and the State
Committee of Public Health recently updated EMS Stroke protocols.
- The CVH program partnered with the American Heart
Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) and the Magic City
Stroke Prevention Project located in Birmingham, to conduct a workshop
titled, “Improving Stroke Care in Alabama.” The workshop focuses on how
to change hospital and provider policies to provide better care for
stroke patients.
- The CVH program assessed current statewide worksite policies and
environmental supports for heart disease and stroke prevention among
businesses with more than 200 employees. For the 102 worksites which
requested more information, the program sent toolkits to assist
employees to make changes. This was followed by a Healthy Alabama
Worksites Workshop with participation from 12 companies. The state’s
only healthcare coalition, Employers Coalition for Healthcare Options,
presented on cost and the need to invest in prevention. As a result of
this meeting, a large automobile manufacturing group started a long-term
prevention initiative.
- The CVH program collaborated with the American Heart
Association/American Stroke Association, to conduct a stroke prevention
public awareness campaign at two historically black universities,
Alabama State University and Tuskegee University. Using the Train the
trainer model, Power to End Stroke program developed by the American
Stroke Association, ambassadors were provided a toolkit of materials to
educate participants about stroke and train them to become ambassadors.
These ambassadors developed service projects and hosted special events
on campus to educate the community on the signs and symptoms of stroke.For more information on
heart disease and stroke prevention in the state, visit the Alabama
Department of Public Health Web site at www.adph.org/cvh/.*
- Alabama is part of the Delta States Stroke Consortium. The
Consortium is led by the Arkansas Department of Public Health and
includes Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
To view county-level data, visit our interactive map
site at http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/library/maps/statemaps.htm.
*Links to non–Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at this link.
Page last reviewed:
December 5, 2007
Page last modified: December 5, 2007
Content source: Division for Heart Disease and Stroke
Prevention,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion |
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