Hear Georgia NOW

Tag: healthcare access

  • Georgia life expectancy rises, but state still trails behind the nation

    Georgia life expectancy rises, but state still trails behind the nation

    Georgia life expectancy rises, but state still trails behind the nation

    Georgia’s life expectancy increased in 2022, rising by 1.6 years and outpacing most other states, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

    The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the change follows two years of declines tied to the pandemic and overdose deaths, though Georgia still trails much of the nation.

    The CDC lists Georgia’s average life expectancy at 75.9 years. The increase is significant following the drops in 2020 and 2021, but Georgia remains 36th among states and the District of Columbia.

    The national average life expectancy reached 77.5 years in 2022 and continued to climb the next year. Georgia’s rebound follows the same general pattern. Health officials point to two main reasons: fewer COVID-19 deaths and a decline in fatal overdoses.

    “More people were vaccinated, more people were protected and more got access to treatments, including Paxlovid,” said Georgia Department of Public Health spokesperson Nancy Nydam Shirek, in comments reported by the AJC.

    Overdose deaths also fell. Nationally, fatalities dropped about 26% between April 2023 and April 2024. Georgia recorded a 21% decline over the same period, according to the AJC. Dr. Justine Welsh, medical director of the Addiction Alliance of Georgia, said opioid-settlement funding helped expand access to treatment and naloxone.

    “We’re finally starting to see what sustained investment in treatment and prevention can do,” Welsh told the AJC. “Efforts like this have to continue if we want the trend to keep moving in the right direction.”

    Despite the improvement, Georgia still faces gaps in care. Many rural counties lack enough primary care providers, and chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease remain widespread. These conditions continue to influence life expectancy across the state.

    Public health officials told the AJC that the new numbers are promising but not secure. They say progress may slow if vaccination rates slip, treatment programs lose funding or public health priorities shift.

    For now, the 2022 increase points to fewer preventable deaths and broader use of available treatments. 

    State officials and researchers say the trend shows movement toward better outcomes, but stress that Georgia’s progress is only one part of a longer effort to improve residents’ health.

  • Georgia Fails Another Preterm Birth Rate Report

    Georgia Fails Another Preterm Birth Rate Report

    Georgia Fails Another Preterm Birth Rate Report

    Georgia received an F grade for its preterm birth rate in the March of Dimes’ 2025 Report Card, placing the state among the lowest-ranked in the country for maternal and infant health.

    The report, released on World Prematurity Day, shows Georgia’s preterm birth rate held at 11.8% in 2024, the same as the previous year. Preterm birth — delivery before 37 weeks of pregnancy — remains one of the most common causes of infant death. The United States as a whole earned a D+, with a national rate of 10.4%.

    Dr. Michael Warren, chief medical and health officer for March of Dimes, told Axios the lack of progress nationwide should sound alarms. “It’s deeply frustrating,” he said, adding that the country has long known the major risk factors for preterm birth, including hypertension, chronic stress and inadequate prenatal care.

    Racial disparities remain among Georgia’s most persistent challenges. From 2021 to 2023, the preterm birth rate for Black infants in Georgia reached 15%, far higher than the state average. American Indian and Alaska Native infants had a rate of 14.6%, while white infants were at 10.3%.

    Warren said the gaps are driven by social and economic conditions rather than biological factors.

    March of Dimes estimates that 14,907 babies in Georgia were born preterm in 2024. Between 2020 and 2023, 94 Georgia counties recorded preterm birth rates higher than the statewide average.

    State lawmakers have expanded Medicaid postpartum coverage and invested in maternal home-visiting programs, but advocates say more work is needed to improve access to care and reduce risks before pregnancy begins.

    “Behind every data point is a family,” said Tamara Mason, maternal and child health director for March of Dimes Georgia. She said the organization is working to expand research, mobile health centers and policy advocacy aimed at strengthening care for families across the state.