public health

As the Kansas City Council considers an ordinance to ban all flavored tobacco products from store shelves, health experts say it could save lives. Business owners worry about what it would mean to their sales.

Nearly 50 cases of tuberculosis have been confirmed in Wyandotte County — more than the total number of cases in the state of Kansas last year. Still, experts say overall public risk is low.

Health officials have confirmed almost 50 cases of tuberculosis in Wyandotte County, more than in all of Kansas last year. But the public risk remains low.

The EPA is trying to crack down on lead pipes that bring water into homes. But a looming deadline — and the election — will determine if it follows a Biden plan to replace pipes or a Trump plan. In Olathe, the city is using a patchwork of funding to replace lines at no cost to property owners.

Black women have some of the highest new HIV infection rates in Kansas City and nationally. Many of them face discrimination, stigmas and systemic barriers in receiving the health care they need to live healthy lives.

Nearly 200 people rallied at Washington Square Park on Saturday afternoon to call on Missouri lawmakers to pass legislation to help prevent future mass shootings, like the one at Union Station that killed one person and injured 22 more on Wednesday.

The burst of gunfire that killed a young mother and wounded almost two dozen others at the Chiefs Super Bowl victory rally on Valentine's Day could have turned out even deadlier. But with mass shootings now regular events, local hospitals and trauma doctors have been trained on how to accommodate and triage large numbers of victims.

Millions of dollars have flowed into the state of Kansas from opioid settlement funds, which are supposed to go to treatment and prevention. So why are police getting a lot of that money? Plus: A Kansas City musician who turned his grief over his parents' deaths into art.

The state of Kansas expects to receive more than $340 million over the next 18 years from opioid settlement funds. Much of that has gone to state and local law enforcement agencies, despite criticism about how they've handled drug enforcement.

Wyandotte County reports 29.5 cases of syphilis per 100,000 people, a 450% increase since 2012 and the fastest growth of any county in Kansas. Why are cases rising so quickly over the past decade and what do providers say we can do about it?

The CDC reported this month that only 17% of adults and 7% of children have received the updated COVID vaccine, which targets more recent coronavirus strains. But it’s never too late to get boosted, especially if you're hopping on a plane for Christmas break.

A federal lawsuit alleges that Missouri's dysfunctional system prevents low-income residents from getting food aid. Now that the state is also reassessing the Medicaid eligibility of more than 1 million recipients — and kicking people off the rolls — advocates said those flaws have escalated into a crisis for the most vulnerable.