The Disease Prevention Division staff informs, motivates, and helps individuals and groups assume responsibility for improving the health of themselves, their families, and their community. The staff promotes voluntary adoption and maintenance of health practices and lifestyles which will lead to the highest level of individual and community health, and advocates social and environmental changes as needed to facilitate these goals.  Public health emergency preparedness planning and education is provided in collaboration with the City, regional and state emergency officials.

Some of the activities the Disease Prevention Division is involved in include:

• Nutrition, oral health, and bullying education for early childhood education centers
• Emergency response and pandemic influenza preparedness, education, and exercises
• Health disparities initiatives 
• Behavioral health

The Department of Health and Senior Services, Chronic Disease Management and Prevention’s Division has developed a toolkit full of information and tips to help you manage, live with, or prevent many common chronic diseases to live your life to the fullest. This toolkit can be found at http://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/chronic/toolkit.php?/seniorsandchronicdiseasetoolkit/.