Divisions

Family to Family Health Information Center (F2F) is a program funded by HRSA to provide assistance and support to families of children with special healthcare needs. The F2F Center in American Samoa is servicing approximately 61 active clients which are provided with the following services:

Dial a Ride Service to access medical appointments and other necessary travel. Computer Laboratory to conduct research or to reach out to other families for resources, Conference Room Reservations for activities, trainings and meetings that are beneficial to families. Tele-health in seeking consultation with a physician or specialty service provider.  Parent/Professional Training that can improve the care and overall life of children with special healthcare need.

Helping Babies Hear is the territory’s newborn hearing screening program which aims to identify infants who may have hearing loss. Newborn hearing screening is performed soon after birth, before baby goes home from the hospital. Newborn hearing screenings are extremely important. Good hearing helps a baby learn to talk. If newborns have hearing loss and are diagnosed early, effective intervention is available to help them achieve typical or near typical speech, language, and hearing milestones. Services to minimize delays in development should begin before baby is six months old.

Environmental Health Services Division ensures a safe and healthy environment in the Territory of American Samoa through education, empowerment and enforcement.

Services include but are not limited to food establishment inspections, non-food establishment inspections, food complaints, vector control & prevention, and public nuisances.

The Maternal and Child Health Program (MCH) has been one of the pioneer programs within the Department of Health, established in the early 1990s to address priority health needs and gaps of the MCH population. Target population is Children ages 0 – 21 and all pregnant women. Strategies identified within the MCH Title V State Action Plan are designed to: 1) improve access to comprehensive primary and preventive healthcare; 2) provide health promotion to reduce the incidence of preventable diseases, morbidities, and mortalities; 3) reduce barriers and increase access to preventive, screening, and treatment services; 4) improve coordination across programs that serve MCH populations.

The Breast and Cervical Early Detection Program (BCCEDP) provides breast and cervical cancer early detection testing for women in American Samoa.  Under the American Samoa Department of Health, BCCEDP provides these services through through funding provided by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Screening services are available at the Department of Health local clinics (Tafuna Health Center, Fagaalu Physical Clinic, and Amouli Health Center). BCCEDP’s goal is to reach as many women in the community as possible, including older women, women who are recent immigrants, and women who are members of racial and ethnic minorities in American Samoa.

The American Samoa, Helping Hands Early Intervention Program provides support to families as well as many types of services to infants and toddlers under the age of three who have a developmental delay, a health condition or a disability that affects their development.

Early Intervention services are based on the individual needs of your child and your family. Typical services may include: family training, physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy.

The Tobacco and Diabetes Prevention Program provides Tobacco and Diabetes related educational outreaches in the community through schools, churches, and other organizations. The Program also provides training under the Chronic Disease Self Management Program for patients and caregivers that teach them how to manage their own or their patients’ diabetes before dialysis is needed, as well as leadership training courses for those who are interested in conducting their own Chronic Disease Management Program.  Although the Tobacco and Diabetes Prevention Program is unable to provide Direct services in dealing with patients interested in quitting smoking/ vaping tobacco, the program is able to refer those who are interested in Tobacco Cessation Counseling.

The American Samoa Comprehensive Cancer Control Program is a CDC funded program. It provides funding, guidance and technical assistance to various entities in the cancer community to design and implement strategic and impactful plans that prevent and control cancer. The 4 priorities of cancer control are primary prevention, early detection and screening, survivorship, and cross cutting priorities.

The Immunization Program primarily aims to strengthen immunization services to ensure children are protected against the most common vaccine-preventable diseases.  We work collaboratively with community partners and medical providers to offer an array of services for the people of American Samoa.  The core components of the American Samoa Immunization Program include the following: Perinatal Hepatitis B Program, School Assessment, Immunization Registry (TamaWebIz), Vaccines for Children Program, Education/Awareness, and the Immunization Quality Improvement Program (IQIP)

Lymphatic filariasis is a debilitating and disfiguring mosquitoborne parasitic disease. As part of the Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least five rounds of annual mass drug administration in areas with endemic disease to reduce incidence and prevalence. Onward transmission is expected to end once community prevalence falls below 1%. American Samoa, located in the southern Pacific Ocean, is the only U.S. territory with evidence of ongoing lymphatic filariasis transmission.  The lymphatic filariasis elimination project is a collaboration between the American Samoa Department of Health and the WHO to eliminate lymphatic filariasis transmissions in the territory.

The Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Division receives federal funding to assist and support the Department of Health to be prepared for any and all types of disasters. Preparedness activities funded by the PHEP cooperative agreement specifically target the development of emergency-ready public health departments that are flexible and adaptable.  The goal of the PHEP Division is to help Health Departments build and strengthen their abilities to effectively respond to a range of Public Health threats, including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological events.

The American Samoa Department of Health HIV/STD/TB/Viral Hepatitis prevention and control division prepares, prevent, responds and controls the spread of diseases of public health concern in American Samoa through surveillance, disease reporting and investigation in collaboration with health care providers and key responders for a healthier and safer community.  The HIV/STD/TB/Viral Hepatitis Program offers FREE: Testing and Treatment, HIV testing and linkage to care, Female/Male condoms, lubes, dental dams, Risk-reduction Counseling, Health Education, and Community Outreaches in American Samoa.