Health Department reports 2024 'State of the County Health'; highlights heart disease, substance use and access to care

Pender County’s Health Department presented its 2024 State of the County Health report on June 2, summarizing county demographics, leading causes of death and priority public‑health issues identified in the 2022 community health assessment.

Miss Mosier (public-health director) said the assessment and annual reports are required and that the assessment’s top priorities remained heart health, substance‑use prevention and access to care. She reviewed county demographics, including an estimated 2024 population of about 70,077; an aging population (roughly 18.6% aged 65 and older); and racial and ethnic breakdowns that show a growing Hispanic population.

Leading causes of death remain cancer, heart disease and stroke; Mosier said suicide and Alzheimer’s disease had risen in ranking in recent years. The department also reported maternal‑and‑child metrics such as a lower-than-state teen birth rate, a low prenatal-smoking percentage and that approximately two-thirds of pregnant women receive prenatal care early in their pregnancies.

On the three priorities, Mosier described ongoing initiatives: heart-health outreach and walks, nutrition education, chronic‑disease self‑management classes and diabetes education; opioid-overdose and naloxone distribution efforts, a post‑overdose response team and participation in drug take-back events; and continued access‑to‑care work including the breast and cervical cancer screening program for low‑income residents, immunization clinics and planned family‑planning education at DSS.

Mosier noted emerging issues including an aging population with higher chronic‑disease burden, food insecurity among older adults and monitoring of avian influenza in poultry and wild birds; she said there is no evidence of human‑to‑human avian‑flu transmission currently but that state and regional partners are monitoring the situation.

Next steps: the health department will complete a new community health assessment in 2026 (a four‑year cycle), pursue reaccreditation work and relocate to a planned health and human services facility expected in 2026. Mosier invited commissioners to contact the department for further data and noted the department shares public‑health messaging with county partners.

Ending: Commissioners asked questions about cancer trends, screening and data sources; Mosier said public‑health staff use state data (State Center for Health Statistics) and regional collaborations for outreach campaigns.