This is our official staff account at Hawai‘i Public Health Institute.
Since 2010, Hawai‘i has received a failing grade in three oral health report cards published by The Pew Center on the States. Specifically, Medicaid does not provide any preventive oral health care for adults and only emergency dental (extraction or pain management). This has resulted in many low-income adults only seeking dental care for acute […]
As the summer heats up, we would like to take a moment to remember our friends and partners impacted by the floods on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i in April as well as those suffering in the Puna district. Our heartfelt thoughts go out to everyone impacted. Last week, at HIPHI’s very first Summer Social event, we […]
Get Fit Kaua‘i and the County of Kaua‘i partnered together to lead an 11-week Youth Education & Advocacy for Health (YEAH) program developed by the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). The YEAH program engaged 10 middle-school-aged youth from the Lihue Boys and Girls Club to conduct a neighborhood assessment, selected a meaningful project focused […]
The first ever Nani Ke Ola, “Beautiful Life”, Wellness Fair was held on March 15th, 2018, to highlight health resources available to the campus community. Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai‘i was there to mark Kick Butts Day by highlighting the effects of secondhand smoke exposure on campus. The Maui, Molokai, and Lana‘i Coalition for a Tobacco-Free […]
Many have heard the terms vaping, Juuling, dripping, draw, and e-smoke among others, but most don’t fully understand the laws that are in place and the repercussions of underage e-cigarette use. Below is a quick guide on where we stand with statewide and Kaua‘i County law. Across the state, youth are using ESDs at an […]
As part of the Youth ESD Prevention Project, HIPHI has partnered with Olelo Community Media, who for the last 15 years has held the statewide student video competition that empowers youth to identify and bring critical community issues to the forefront. Students are able to compete in a variety of categories. In line with our […]
The Healthy Eating + Active Living (HEAL) Coalition for Maui, Molokai, and Lanaʻi has been involved in many events these past months. One event worth highlighting is the Creating Healthier Communities: Kahului Walk Audit that took place on May 30, 2018. This event was a true collaborative effort between The Hawai‘i State Department of Health, […]
According to the International Labor Organization, almost 21 million people are victims of forced labor, either by private individuals or enterprises. Of those exploited, 4.5 million are victims of forced sexual exploitation and Hawai‘i is no exception. Hawai‘i sees victims of sex trafficking in our residents, mainland visitors, and foreign nationals. Victims include men, women, […]
As use of electronic smoking devices and vaping continues to soar among teenagers across the state of Hawai‘i, HIPHI’s Youth ESD Prevention Project (YEPP) has spent the last few months diligently working on a multimedia campaign to combat vape industry marketing, promote health, and ultimately reverse this disturbing trend. Utilizing a ‘by-youth, for-youth’ approach, one […]
The Tobacco-Free Hawai`i Island coalition and the Healthy Eating + Active Living (HEAL) Big Island partners collaborated with two college seniors, Val Balkin and Bianca Bianca Keohokapu, from the University of Hawai`i at Hilo Bachelors of Nursing (BSN) program to create the Healthy Heroes project. Healthy Heroes, which showcases a culturally-based illustrated workbook for youth, was inspired by […]
With another legislative session behind us, it’s time to take a deeper look into how public health legislation fared in the 2018 session. This year, HIPHI priorities were to prevent tobacco use among youth and promote healthy eating habits. Mahalo to all of our advocates who showed their support, whether it was through written testimony, […]
