That data is included in the annual report card, compiled jointly by the State Medical Association and Mississippi Department of Health to provide an overview of the state's public health indicators.
Dr. John Mitchell, president of MSMA, says the mixed results are signs of progress.
“What stands out is that it's an improvement. It's not going to be quick and it's not going to be easy, and changing things in a climate of healthcare takes time. But the processes are beginning and the results are beginning to be seen,” Mitchell told MPB News. “That's huge when you have to overtake a population across the country that is also working on these same parameters.”
Cardiovascular diseases, cancer and accidents remained the top 3 causes of death in the state.
But most notably, cases of obesity and diabetes actually improved over the same period of time. State Health Officer Dr. Daniel Edney says he's most proud of progress in addressing obesity, which over the course of 2023 saw Mississippi rise from the worst rate in the country to 45th.
“We’re talking about a lot of excess morbidity and mortality being mitigated. That is a huge swing, and at first I thought it was just people getting fatter than we were, but it’s not. It’s that plus the fact that our obesity trends have steadily gone down for over four years,” said Edney.
Over the same period, the prevalence of diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis also continued to trend downward and below national averages.
Edney added that a 10% decrease in opioid deaths for 2022 in Mississippi represents successful “upstream efforts” to increase awareness and actually reduce opioid overdoses, rather than simply responding to them.
But what undoubtedly defined the presentation of the annual report at the state Capitol on Thursday was what work is left to do. Specifically, Edney says he wants legislators to address a long-running issue in the state: improved access to healthcare.
“Right now, we have over 200,000 who only have access to the emergency room. So as every Mississippian has the ability to have a medical home like I do, then everything gets better. And the most important thing is our outcomes get better, which means more Mississippians are healthier and living longer, which is what we all want,” said Edney.
“And I think we can all agree that working class folks should have the same right to access to care that I have, and I'm just determined to do what we have to do to help our folks have access to high quality care that's available.”
Political debate around just how to achieve that has long centered on an expansion to Medicaid to an estimated 300,000 uninsured Mississippians. Newly-elected Speaker of the House Republican Jason White said the legislature would be willing to have an open conversation on the topic this session.
Edney and other physicians who attended the presentation expressed their support for the consideration, no matter the form it ultimately arrives in.
“There are many options available, and for me, it's about achieving the goal. The goal is access to care for everybody, and how we get there is up to our elected leadership. Our job as the health department is to help with the options available and put the choices in front of our leadership,” said Edney. “It's not a political issue nor an economic issue. It's a public health issue that Mississippians have access to primary care,” he said.
Mississippi led the nation in childhood vaccination rates as well as deaths from firearms.
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