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Health Readiness

The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for Health Readiness Policy and Oversight is the principal staff assistant and advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) for all medically related Department of Defense policies, programs, and activities. The office is responsible for deployment medicine, force health protection, medical readiness, international health agreements, deployment related health policy, theater information systems, humanitarian and health missions, and national disaster support.

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2016 – 2017 Cold Season, Cold Weather Injuries, Active and Reserve Components, U.S. Armed Forces

Infographic
1/18/2018
or the 2016 – 2017 cold season, the number of active component service members with cold weather injuries was the lowest of the last 18 cold seasons since the Medical Surveillance Monthly Report (MSMR) began reporting such data in the 1999-2000 cold season. Findings • The overall incidence rate for cold weather injuries for all active component service members in 2016 – 2017 was 15% lower than the rate for the 2015 – 2016 cold season. • The 2016 – 2017 rate was the lowest of the entire five year surveillance period. • In the 2016 – 2017 cold season, the Army’s incidence rate of 41.0 per 100,000 person-years for active component soldiers was 18% lower than the Army’s lowest previous rate in 2012 – 2013. • In the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, the active component rate for 2016 – 2017 was only slightly higher than their lowest rates during the 2012—2017 surveillance period. Pie chart 1 (left side of infographic): Cold Weather Injuries, By Service, Active Component, 2016 – 2017 data • Army 57.6% (n=189) • Marine Corps 21.0% (n=69) • Air Force - 13.1% (n=43) • Navy – 8.2% (n=27) • The sharp decline in the Army rate during the 2016 – 2017 cold season drove the overall decline for all services combined. Pie chart 2 (right side of infographic): Percentage distribution by service of cold weather injuries among reserve component service members during cold season 2016 – 2017 • Army 72.9% (n=43) • Marine Corps 13.5% (n=8) • Air Force 13.5% (n=8) • Navy (n= 0) • For the 2016 – 2017 cold season, the overall rate of cold weather injuries for the reserve component and the rates for each of the services except the Air Force were lower than in any of the previous four seasons. Access the full report in the October 2017 MSMR (Vol. 24, No. 10). Go to: www.Health.mil/MSMR

This infographic documents cold weather injuries among the active and reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces for the 2016 – 2017 cold season.

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Winter Safety | Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch | Health Readiness

Five cold seasons: July 2012-June 2017, Active reserve component service members who were diagnosed with a cold weather injury

Infographic
1/18/2018
Did you know during the 5-year surveillance period, the 2,717 service members who were affected by any cold weather injury included 2,307 from the active component and 410 from the reserve component. Overall, Army members comprised the majority (61.6%) of all cold injuries affecting active and reserve component service members. Of all affected reserve component members, 71.7% (n=294) were members of the Army. Cold weather injuries During Basic Training Of all active component service members who were diagnosed with a cold weather injury (n= 2,307), 230 (10.0% of the total) were affected during basic training. Additionally, during the surveillance period, 60 service members who were diagnosed with cold weather injuries during basic training (2.6% of the total) were hospitalized, and most (93.3%) of the hospitalized cases were members of either the Army (n=32) or Marine Corps (n=24). Cold weather injuries during basic training pie chart: The Army (n=122) and Marine Corps (n=99) comprised 96.1% of all basic trainees who were diagnosed with a cold weather injury. Access the full report in the October 2017 MSMR (Vol. 24, No. 10). Go to: www.Health.mil/MSMR #ColdReadiness Image of service member tracking in the snow is the infographic background graphic.

This infographic provides information on active and reserve component service members who were affected by any cold weather injury during the July 2012 – June 2017 cold seasons.

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Winter Safety | Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch | Health Readiness

Cold and influenza season is underway – and it’s nothing to ‘shake off’

Article
1/12/2018
Cold and flu season usually runs from October to March, and peaks between December and February. Young children, adults 65 years and older, pregnant women, and people with chronic medical conditions have a higher risk for complications. Military Health System experts encourage everyone to take steps to prevent these viral illnesses from spreading. (U.S. Army photo by photo by Rachel Larue)

Military Health System experts share advice on how to prevent, treat, and distinguish between these two viral illnesses

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Health Readiness | Preventive Health | Immunizations | Children's Health

Joint efforts in search of a cure for tropical diseases

Article
1/11/2018
Dr. Gissella Vasquez, deputy director of the Entomology Department at the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6, inspects a vector trap at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras. The Joint Task Force-Bravo Medical Element, NAMRU- 6 and the Uniformed Service University of the Health Sciences partnered for an ongoing tropical disease study, testing live samples and collecting vectors that could be potential carriers for diseases. (U.S. Army photo by Maria Pinel)

Malaria. Dengue. Zika.

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Global Health Engagement | Mosquito-Borne Illnesses | Health Readiness

Guarding the health of service members

Article
1/9/2018
James Coker focuses on protecting service member health every day as deputy chief of the Public Health Division at the Defense Health Agency. Here he is exploring a Mount Denali glacier “off the clock” while stationed in Alaska as a public health flight commander at Elmendorf Air Force Base. (Courtesy photo)

The vital role of the Public Health Division

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Health Readiness | Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch | Public Health

Global Influenza Summary: January 7, 2018

Report
1/7/2018

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Health Readiness | Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch | AFHSB Reports and Publications | Influenza Summary and Reports

Deployed Airman provides critical care anywhere

Article
1/5/2018
Air Force Capt. Asha Wyatt, 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron aeromedical evacuation operations officer and flight nurse, poses for a photo at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Dec. 28, 2017. Wyatt is deployed from Pope Army Airfield, N.C., and has been in the Air Force for six years. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Divine Cox

When injured airmen need to be transported, the 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron’s airmen provide patients with lifesaving emergency and prehospital care

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Health Readiness | Global Health Engagement

Maintenance key to medical device precision, accuracy

Article
1/4/2018
A technician assigned to the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency's Medical Maintenance Operations Division-Tracy works on a piece of equipment in the depot's special purpose test, measurement and diagnostics equipment lab. (U.S. Army photo by Ellen Crown)

It's not about the item we touch, it's about the patient that uses it

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Health Readiness

MSMR Vol. 25 No. 2 - February 2018

Report
1/1/2018

A monthly publication of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. This issue of the peer-reviewed journal contains the following articles: Update: Malaria, U.S. Armed Forces, 2017; Surveillance for vector-borne diseases among active and reserve component service members, U.S. Armed Forces, 2010–2016; Diagnostic evaluation of military blood donors ...

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Health Readiness | Public Health

MSMR Vol. 25 No. 3 - March 2018

Report
1/1/2018

A monthly publication of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. This issue of the peer-reviewed journal contains the following articles: Update: Malaria, U.S. Armed Forces, 2017; Surveillance for vector-borne diseases among active and reserve component service members, U.S. Armed Forces, 2010–2016; Diagnostic evaluation of military blood donors ...

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Health Readiness | Public Health

MSMR Vol. 25 No. 4 - April 2018

Report
1/1/2018

A monthly publication of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. This issue of the peer-reviewed journal contains the following articles: Update: Malaria, U.S. Armed Forces, 2017; Surveillance for vector-borne diseases among active and reserve component service members, U.S. Armed Forces, 2010–2016; Diagnostic evaluation of military blood donors ...

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Health Readiness | Public Health

MSMR Vol. 25 No. 1 - January 2018

Report
1/1/2018

A monthly publication of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. This issue of the peer-reviewed journal contains the following articles: Review of the U.S. military's human immunodeficiency virus program: a legacy of progress and a future of promise; Update: Routine screening for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus, civilian applicants ...

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Health Readiness | Public Health

Global Influenza Summary: December 31, 2017

Report
12/31/2017

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Health Readiness | Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch | AFHSB Reports and Publications | Influenza Summary and Reports

Global Influenza Summary: December 24, 2017

Report
12/24/2017

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Health Readiness | Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch | AFHSB Reports and Publications | Influenza Summary and Reports

Global Influenza Summary: December 17, 2017

Report
12/17/2017

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Health Readiness | Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch | AFHSB Reports and Publications | Influenza Summary and Reports
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