Child Health Initiative. DM GPRA Performance Plans Reports from the Surgeon General provide the science underpinning for actions to reduce NVPO, through its National Vaccine Advisory Committee, helps develops immunization policy aimed at ensuring that vaccine research, development, and delivery contribute in the most effective ways to the reduction of vaccine preventable disease in the United States. Engaging in Strategic Communication The national Title X Family Planning program supports information dissemination and community-based education and outreach activities. The AFL program develops model strategies for promoting abstinence from sexual intercourse as a means of preventing adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. The Title X (Family Planning) program also stresses abstinence in both education and counseling sessions with adolescents. All adolescents requesting services are counseled about the benefits of abstinence in relation to prevention of both pregnancy and STDs. NVPO, through its IIHS Interagency Vaccine Communications Group, develops effective communication messages regarding the benefits and risks of vaccines to ensure an informed public. The OPHS Office on Women's Health National Centers of Excellence in Women's DM GPRA Performance Plans in treatment of the infant after birth. More recently, improved treatment also likely delayed onset of AIDS for HIV-infected children. These declines also reflect the success of widespread implementation of PHS recommendations for routine counseling and voluntary HIV testing of pregnant women. With efforts to maximally reduce perinatal HIV transmission and increase treatment of those infected, declines are likely to continue but may be affected by treatment failures and missed opportunities to prevent transmission. In 2001, the Adolescent Family Life program took several steps to promote effective partnerships between the grantee, their staff and the clients they serve. The program initiated a training program for its prevention grantees and the front-line staff who work with adolescents. The training focused on providing front-line staff members with an opportunity to improve their skills in communicating and working with youth. In 2002, the program will continue to conduct another series of training workshops for staff in prevention and care projects. The OPHS Office of Population Affairs also contributes to building a stronger science base through funding support for national surveys such as the National Survey of Family Growth, a periodic survey of a national sample of women 15-44 years of age which collects data on factors affecting pregnancy and women's health in the United States. The survey collects data on a wide range of topics including: pregnancy and birth, marriage, divorce, cohabitation, sexual intercourse, contraception, infertility, use of family planning and other medical services, health conditions and behavior. OPA is providing an estimated $4 million over the period FY 1998 2002 to support the development, testing and implementation of the next survey cycle, which will include a sample of men for the first time. In 2001, the OPA worked with the National Center for Health Statistics and other funding partners to ensure that there will be reliable national data focusing on marriage and cohabitation, sexual behavior and reproductive health, including risks related to the transmission of HIV or STDs. Finally, in the area of influencing national policy, OPHS's Office on Women's Health led the development and publication of the HHS Blueprint for Action on Breastfeeding released by the Surgeon General. The Blueprint establishes a comprehensive policy for the nation to improve children's health by promoting the benefits of breastfeeding through the family and community, workplaces, and the healthcare system. Over 70,000 copies of the Blueprint have been distributed. In addition, collaborations have been formed with the American Association of Health Plans, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the African American Breastfeeding Association. A National Breastfeeding Media Campaign and community outreach will be launched in FY 2002. In addition, Surgeon General reports released in 2001 addressed the health needs of children and adolescents, including the Report of the Surgeon General's Conference on Children's Mental Health: A National Action Plan, Youth Violence: A Report of the Surgeon General, and The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. DM GPRA Performance Plans Among the factors accounting for the overall falling birth rate among teenagers are decreased sexual activity, increases in condom use, and the adoption of injectable and implant contraceptives. Within the larger public health framework, OPHS's Office of Population Affairs and the programs it administers (the AFL program and the Family Planning Program) play a central role in assuring a healthy start for every child by preventing unintended and adolescent pregnancies, providing abstinence education for adolescents, and providing related preventive health care and counseling. In an effort to promote effective partnerships to reduce adolescent pregnancy, the AFL prevention projects continue to focus on abstinence as the most effective method of preventing adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. In 2001, the program supported 73 prevention projects focusing on encouraging adolescents to remain abstinent and served an estimated 91,000 adolescents. The program also supports care projects which work with pregnant and parenting adolescents to assure healthy outcomes for themselves and their children. In 2001, the program funded 37 care projects providing almost 22,000 pregnant and parenting adolescents, their families and infants with access to health (including prenatal care) and social services. In 2001, the family planning program, the primary provider of subsidized family planning services for low-income individuals, provided funding for service delivery grants to 91 public and private organizations supporting a nationwide network of more than 4,500 family planning clinics. Title X provide reproductive health services to approximately 4.4 million persons each year, enabling women to avoid unintended pregnancies. Pregnancy testing is a common and frequent reason for women coming to visit a clinic, and family planning is often an access point for women entering early prenatal care. The program also plays an important role in adolescent pregnancy prevention. Approximately 30 percent of those receiving services are under 20 years of age. In addition to clinical services, outreach and education (including counseling to encourage continued postponement of sexual activity for adolescent clients who are not yet sexually active) are important components of family planning services for adolescents. The reduction of new perinatally acquired HIV infections has also been a high priority for the Department since the definition of effective treatment options that reduce the risk of transmission from mother to child. OPHS has coordinated a Department-wide effort across the research, prevention and treatment arenas to maximize opportunities to reduce the incidence of new perinatal HIV infections. HRSA, CDC and SAMHSA all have extensive program efforts in place to reach and offer pregnant women with HIV infection effective treatment for their own illness and to reduce the risk of perinatal transmission. The US has seen dramatic reductions in perinatal HIV transmission rates in the past decade; these initiatives have been successful in dropping the number of new perinatal AIDS cases diagnosed each year, with 102 cases diagnosed in FY 2000 compared to a target level of 203 cases, well exceeding the target set. Surveillance data reported through December 2000 show sharply declining trends in perinatal AIDS cases, showing a reduction of 69 cases from the FY 1999 level of 171 cases (to 102 cases in FY 2000), or a 40 percent reduction; this decline was strongly associated with increasing zidovudine (ZDV) use in pregnant women who were aware of their HIV status, at delivery, and DM GPRA Performance Plans in treatment of the infant after birth. More recently, improved treatment also likely delayed onset of AIDS for HIV-infected children. These declines also reflect the success of widespread implementation of PHS recommendations for routine counseling and voluntary HIV testing of pregnant women. With efforts to maximally reduce perinatal HIV transmission and increase treatment of those infected, declines are likely to continue but may be affected by treatment failures and missed opportunities to prevent transmission. In 2001, the Adolescent Family Life program took several steps to promote effective partnerships between the grantee, their staff and the clients they serve. The program initiated a training program for its prevention grantees and the front-line staff who work with adolescents. The training focused on providing front-line staff members with an opportunity to improve their skills in communicating and working with youth. In 2002, the program will continue to conduct another series of training workshops for staff in prevention and care projects. The OPHS Office of Population Affairs also contributes to building a stronger science base through funding support for national surveys such as the National Survey of Family Growth, a periodic survey of a national sample of women 15-44 years of age which collects data on factors affecting pregnancy and women's health in the United States. The survey collects data on a wide range of topics including: pregnancy and birth, marriage, divorce, cohabitation, sexual intercourse, contraception, infertility, use of family planning and other medical services, health conditions and behavior. OPA is providing an estimated $4 million over the period FY 1998 2002 to support the development, testing and implementation of the next survey cycle, which will include a sample of men for the first time. In 2001, the OPA worked with the National Center for Health Statistics and other funding partners to ensure that there will be reliable national data focusing on marriage and cohabitation, sexual behavior and reproductive health, including risks related to the transmission of HIV or STDs. Finally, in the area of influencing national policy, OPHS's Office on Women's Health led the development and publication of the HHS Blueprint for Action on Breastfeeding released by the Surgeon General. The Blueprint establishes a comprehensive policy for the nation to improve children's health by promoting the benefits of breastfeeding through the family and community, workplaces, and the healthcare system. Over 70,000 copies of the Blueprint have been distributed. In addition, collaborations have been formed with the American Association of Health Plans, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the African American Breastfeeding Association. A National Breastfeeding Media Campaign and community outreach will be launched in FY 2002. In addition, Surgeon General reports released in 2001 addressed the health needs of children and adolescents, including the Report of the Surgeon General's Conference on Children's Mental Health: A National Action Plan, Youth Violence: A Report of the Surgeon General, and The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. |