Residents' Health Improving Across Howard County, Cancer Death Rates Decline: Report Card

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Residents appear to be healthier, according to the Howard County's biennial Report Card of Community Health Indicators.

The report card evaluates the health of Howard County residents across several key public health measures, including chronic disease risk factors, cancer incidence, leading causes of death and maternal and infant health.

“By reviewing this data every two years and sharing it with our partners, collectively we can identify where to focus our attention and where resources are needed to address health trends that are stagnant or worsening,” said Dr. Maura Rossman, Howard County Health Officer. “While we are seeing an encouraging decline in adult cigarette use and a declining cancer death rate in the county, we are hopeful to make progress in eliminating the racial disparities in sexually-transmitted infection rates and in reducing fall-related deaths.”

Highlights from the report card include:

• A decline in cigarette use among adult residents. Survey results show a 39 percent reduction in smoking from 2019 to 2021.
• Heart disease and cancer continue to be the two most common causes of death in the County.
• Four out of every 10 non-motor vehicle accident deaths were due to falls in 2020.
• Rates of newly diagnosed cancers are stable in Howard County.
  • County residents experience higher rates of female breast cancer, melanoma, and prostate cancers and lower rates of cervical, colorectal, liver and lung cancer when compared to Maryland and the U.S.
• Cancer death rates have declined in Howard County.
  • Rates of cancer mortality are lower for selected sites included in the report when compared to Maryland and the U.S.
• Reported rates of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are highest among Black residents; an almost 8-fold and 14-fold difference respectively when compared to white residents.
• After a steady rise in opioid-related overdose deaths in the county, the rate of opioid-related events, both non-fatal and fatal, appear to have slowed.

“Based on this report card, our community has reason to celebrate our progress and innovation to increase positive patient outcomes, while also identifying those areas that need our ongoing attention,” added Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “The pandemic especially highlighted that we must remain vigilant in monitoring health trends and keeping concerns about equality at the forefront of our efforts to support Howard County as a healthy and safe place to live, grow, and raise a family.”