County health officer reports declines in overdose deaths, warns of rising syphilis and maternal‑health disparities

County Health Officer Keisha Davis delivered the biannual Board of Health update to the Montgomery County Council on June 11, highlighting infectious disease trends, maternal and infant health disparities, substance‑use data and the county’s COVID response.

Davis opened by noting continued strong overall county health rankings but emphasized persistent disparities. She and Chief of Public Health Dr. Nina Ashford presented data showing increases in several sexually transmitted infections compared with pre‑pandemic levels. Dr. Ashford said syphilis cases rose 15.6% compared with 2019 and that the state may designate Montgomery County a high‑priority syphilis area, which would bring additional investigative resources.

Davis credited county clinics with treating about half of the county’s syphilis cases and outlined outreach steps: expanded point‑of‑care testing at county clinics, community partnerships for screening, an advertising campaign to promote testing and treatment, and planned focused events such as testing at Pride in the Plaza.

On COVID, Davis recounted the county’s testing distribution via libraries: in the first two days of the January 2022 distribution, more than 190,000 rapid tests were given out; since then county libraries distributed “more than 3,000,000 test kits and a similar number of masks,” which the presentation estimated saved residents roughly $21,000,000 in testing costs. Davis said state and federal resource reductions mean the library distribution program will be stood down at the end of June; she urged residents to follow symptom‑based CDC guidance and expected federal booster guidance in the fall.

Maternal and infant health: Dr. Ashford presented data showing increasing preterm birth rates and rising infant mortality for Black infants. The presenters described three county programs — the Montgomery Perinatal Program (MPP), Babies Born Healthy and SMILE — and noted that the state’s Healthy Babies Equity Act (effective July 1, 2023) expanded Medicaid eligibility for pregnant people, changing MPP’s client mix. Officials said capacity constraints remain: Babies Born Healthy and SMILE have limited slots and the county is reviewing how to align services to reach higher‑risk mothers who may not fit traditional eligibility categories.

Substance use: Davis said FY2023 was a high point for opioid‑related ER visits and fatalities but reported an encouraging year‑to‑date decline in FY2024 through May: a 64% decrease in fatal overdoses (38 fewer fatal cases year‑to‑date) and a roughly 70% decrease in overdose deaths involving fentanyl (30 fewer cases). She said fentanyl involvement in fatal overdoses has fallen and the county is expanding prevention and treatment options, adolescent treatment programming, community grants and harm‑reduction services. County staff previewed a plan to roll out seven Narcan vending machines this summer at accessible public locations and discussed distribution of test strips and other harm‑reduction supplies.

Council members pressed the health team on several issues, including the end of library test‑kit distribution, wastewater surveillance (which the health department said it cannot continue after June for budgetary reasons), disparities in maternal outcomes and Medicaid access for patients. Officials described steps to preserve continuity of care for newly eligible Medicaid clients, to strengthen partnerships with hospitals and community providers, and to use targeted outreach through community health workers and trusted local organizations for vaccination and prevention campaigns.

What’s next: Health staff said they will continue to track STI and overdose trends, pursue state and federal partnerships for resources, expand prevention programming for adolescents and provide additional briefings to the council on specific topics such as wastewater surveillance and opioid‑abatement spending plans.