‘Better Than It Was: Mississippi Health Report Card Shows Mixed Results
Some health indicators are improving in Mississippi, but the state still has a long way to go in others, state health spokesman Dr. Jones said. Dan Edney says.
On Thursday, surrounded by white coats, Edney provided an update on the public health outlook in Mississippi on the steps of the Capitol Rotunda, drawing on his personal experience as a health care worker in the Delta.
“I went gray in West Mississippi practicing medicine,” Edney said. “I know what people in our community face when trying to get adequate access to high-quality health care.”
Surrounded by signs displaying various health data from the state's latest medical records, Edney said it's not all doom and gloom: Mississippi has made progress and setbacks over the past year.
“I really wanted to share the good news with you,” he said. “It's better than a year ago.”
Rates of human immunodeficiency virus, tuberculosis and obesity are declining, according to the 2023 state health report released Thursday by the Mississippi Medical Association and the Mississippi Department of Health. The state's diabetes ranking also rose to 48th in the country.
Edney focuses on reducing obesity rates. While Mississippi still ranks 45th in obesity rates, he said lower rates will lead to declines across the board, including in hypertension, diabetes, vascular disease and maternal health.
“In 10 years, we will see big dividends in population health,” he said of the improvement. “We can't take our foot off the gas.”
While the report card notes that Mississippi has the highest vaccination rate in the country, that could soon change. Last year, a federal judge ruled that Mississippi parents could refuse to vaccinate their children before school because of religious beliefs. As of September, the state had approved 1,800 religious exemptions from school vaccinations.
The state ranks last in the nation for infant mortality, which Edney says, along with the state's horrendous maternal morbidity rate, is the "driving force" of his agency's work. Although some positive results have been obtained regarding congenital syphilis, the crisis continues.
The main causes of mortality are heart diseases, malignant tumors and accidents, which tend to increase in the last year.
Edney said the malignant tumor cost his father his life. He died at age 54 of colon cancer, a preventable disease. Edney said the state has solutions to all health care problems, but the agency can't do the job alone.
“We are showing that public health, science and politics work in partnership,” he said. “When our elected leaders are part of this partnership, it works powerfully. “If we choose the right policies for our people, we will be out of the game and have the highest preventable death rate (in the country).”
MCMA President Dr. John Mitchell said there is another effective way to help stop the state's health crisis.
“ One way is to expand access to health care for Mississippi workers,” Mitchell said.
Medicaid expansion will be a major issue this legislative session, as it has been for years. The policy, adopted by most other states, would expand Medicaid eligibility for Mississippi's working poor. Researchers estimate that between 200,000 and 300,000 Mississippians fall in the “coverage gap,” meaning they currently earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford insurance on their own.
For the most part, uninsured Mississippians lack access to preventive health care. Many rely on the emergency room, where they cannot be turned away due to lack of insurance. Edney said access to preventative care for all Mississippians is an integral part of the fight against poor health in Mississippi.
“I will continue this campaign until Mississippians, that is, everyone, has adequate access to health care… We will continue to suffer for achievements that none of us are proud of,” Edney said.
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