The Hawaii Department of Health celebrated 30 years of National Public Health Week last Friday with a festive community event at the State Office Building in Hilo.
National Public Health Week ran from April 7-13, and the DOH emphasized its goals of prioritizing access to essential health resources for all communities, addressing the impact of climate change, and supporting the next generation of public health professionals.
The wraparound lanai at the government building was packed with community members visiting over two dozen tables where the DOH offered widely varied health information alongside its community partners, nonprofits and emergency preparedness organizations.
“We all matter in public health,” said Helani Scholtz, a public health educator in DOH’s Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division. Scholtz estimated that over 250 people flowed through the health fair during its three hours.
“There were people here before we even started. There’s lots of interest,” said Red Cross volunteer Susan Hicks, who shared information at her table about how the Red Cross provides free installation of smoke detectors in people’s homes, including special bed-shaking detectors for deaf community members.
Everyone from kupuna to keiki flowed through the event, along with a collection of juniors and seniors from Ke Ana La‘ahana Public Charter School, who were there as part of a program the school offers to show upcoming graduates what awaits them in the world, from health resources to job opportunities.
“You can eat it sometimes, just not all the time. And try to eat it with some vegetables,” a representative at the Hawaii Island Community Health Center table told the high schoolers with a laugh when they asked about Spam.
Visitors also had opportunities to learn how to perform hands-only CPR with Vibrant Hawaii (appropriately, the best advice is to do compressions to the timing of the Bee Gees hit “Stayin’ Alive”), and both the Community First Hawaii and Hawaii Fentanyl Task Force tables offered free boxes of Narcan nasal spray to rescue people experiencing drug overdoses.
“Opioid addiction has no barrier, it doesn’t matter who a person is, but Narcan … can instantly help someone in a crisis moment and allow them to have that second chance they wouldn’t have otherwise,” said John Kolman, District Health officer for DOH.
“We’re all here for the same purpose — giving those resources to our community,” said Krystle Chai of Community First Hawaii, which also was raising blood-pressure awareness through its “Know Your Numbers” campaign.
Two other DOH information tables focused on timely issues that might not be at the forefront of every resident’s mind: food safety through proper storage and cooking and the prevention of mosquito-born illnesses like dengue fever, which has seen six travel-related cases in Hawaii so far this year — five on Oahu and one on Maui.
“We have a dedicated crew on both the Hilo and the Kona side that are looking at mosquitoes to really reduce the harm and exposure to our citizens,” Kolman said. “Public health does start here, it starts with us all.”
Local clinics represented at the fair included Hui Malama Ola Na Oiwi, which offer kupuna rides to medical appointments including dialysis; Kumu Kahi Health &Wellness, which provides inclusive care and protection from HIV and STDs; and Hamakua-Kohala Health, a primary care practice serving uninsured or under-insured patients from Honokaa to Waimea.
Along with the health information, the fair featured several performances, including a hula danced by Miss Nani Mau pageant winner Alya-Joy Kanehailua of Hilo, who was eager to represent the important cause of mental wellness through her presence at the fair.
“It’s really nice to see Hilo showing up and taking care of their health. I am advocating for mental health in preparation for my pageant,” said Kanehailua, who is competing for Miss Hawaii in May. “In Hawaii, about 187,000 people struggle with mental illness. A close loved one to me struggles with bipolar disorder, so I feel it’s really important to be here.”
A handful of food trucks also were on site offering everything from tacos and wontons to fruit smoothies from Aloe Kine, a 3-year-old local business that incorporates immunity and blood pressure-supporting aloe into every smoothie recipe they offer.
“Now, in this day and age with all the health-conscious people, it’s spreading more,” said Aloe Kine owner Crystal Mukai of the community’s thirst for healthy foods and information.
Email Kyveli Diener at kdiener@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
