The Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) Program’s goal is to mobilize environmental health data to improve and protect the health and safety of Missourians through public health actions, education, and outreach. Explore these success stories to learn more about the work we do.
The Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) Program uses environmental health and other public health data to improve and protect the health and safety of Missourians through public health actions, education, and outreach. Explore these success stories to learn more about the work we do.
Drought in Missouri
In the summer of 2023, approximately 95% of Missouri experienced some level of drought. Over 58% of the state was in severe to exceptional drought. In response, the Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) Program organized a media campaign to encourage rural Missourians to report drought conditions in their area. Radio and social media messages directed citizens to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Drought webpage. There, people can report evidence of drought conditions to the National Drought Mitigation Center.
From June to August 2023, Missourians submitted 850 drought reports -- approximately 1/3 of all drought reports submitted nationally during that time. Citizen reports of drought helped local, state, and national decision-makers assess drought conditions and impacts and provide assistance to where it was most useful in Missouri.
Tracking Viruses in Wastewater
The Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) Program participates in Missouri's Wastewater Surveillance Program to track traces of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses in community wastewater. EPHT contributes expertise by helping to analyze trends in the wastewater data and helping to create data dashboards. The public, public health agencies, and others use this wastewater surveillance tool to monitor SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and RSV distribution, trends, and activity.
The National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program
Environmental Public Health Tracking Program
Missouri Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) is a program within the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. EPHT is part of a network of people and information systems which delivers a core set of health, exposure, and hazards data, information summaries and tools to enable analysis, visualization and reporting of insights drawn from data. Those insights are intended to help data drive actions and improve community health.