A spike in sexually-transmitted diseases
Three major STDs — gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis — are gaining ground across the United States, according to a CDC report issued last year. Nearly 2.3 million cases were diagnosed nationwide in 2017, a 9 percent increase from the previous year.
But in Dallas County, the number of cases jumped about 25 percent over the same time span, according to county statistics.
In January, county officials delayed a vote on whether to restructure the county’s STD division so that Huang can be briefed on the matter.
Huang said Austin is experiencing similar issues. He singled out the city’s efforts to eradicate the AIDS epidemic. Last year, Austin and Travis County officials signed an international commitment as part of the Fast Track Cities initiative that seeks to end AIDS cases by 2030.
Dallas County’s income and health disparities
About 28 percent of Dallas County parents are uninsured, according to a recent analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by the Center for Public Policy Priorities, an Austin-based advocacy group.
Research from the same group has also found that black residents have higher mortality rates in this county than other races, which the group blamed on socioeconomic status.
“I recognize just the tremendous disparities in the community, whether racial or socioeconomic,” Huang said. “I’m really interested in developing and implementing model solutions that aren’t just Band-Aids, but really address some of the root causes [of health problems].”