HEALTH GOALS 2000: State Meets Some, Misses Others
California's death rates for cancer, heart disease and vehicle crashes fall below national standards, but rates for prenatal care, low birth weight, drug-related death and black infant mortality need to improve to meet national Year 2000 Health Objectives, according to a new survey released by the state Department of Health Services. Among the key findings, most of which where based on three-year annual averages for 1995-1997:
- California's death rate for cancer was 113.3 deaths per 100,000 residents, short of the national standard of 130 per 100,000.
- The age-adjusted death rate for heart disease was 96.9 per 100,000, under the national objective of 100 deaths per 100,000.
- California's infant mortality rate among blacks was 14.6 infant deaths per 1,000 births, compared with a national goal of 11; the infant mortality rates were averages from the years 1993- 1995.
- During the period studied, 19.5% of pregnant women in California had late or no prenatal care, compared to a goal of no more than 10% lacking such care.
- The rate of drug-related deaths was 7.9 per 100,000 residents, "more than twice the objective of 3 per 100,000" ( Sacramento Bee, 4/6).
- The report, "County Health Status Profiles 1999," shows that in a majority of counties, deaths from cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer and heart disease were below the national targets.
- In addition, 57 of the state's 58 counties met the national objective of fewer than 43 deaths from AIDS per 100,000 residents (DHS release, 4/5).