Local HHS releases 2015 Health Indicators

The Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department has released its annual 2015 Critical Health Indicators Report. The report provides an analysis and overview of adverse health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, obesity and diabetes that affect the county’s population of more than 1 million people. Among its findings:

• African-Americans have disproportionately higher rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases and are more likely to die from HIV than other groups.

• The infant mortality rate for African-Americans is two to three times higher than for Caucasians, and babies born to black mothers are more likely to be premature and have low birth weights.

• Hispanics have over seven times the number of teen births compared with Caucasians and approximately six times the number compared with blacks.

• Since 2003, the number of primary and secondary syphilis cases has increased over 300 percent. Almost 95 percent of reported cases are among males.

The report notes that in Travis County, chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, chronic lung disease and diabetes account for nearly three out of four deaths. Cancer remains the No. 1 killer and lung cancer is the deadliest, with almost 90 percent of lung cancers directly linked to smoking. For the full report, go here.