South Carolina's infant mortality rate has improved significantly in recent years but was still higher than the nation's average rate in 2000: 8.7 per 1,000 live births, as compared to the national rate of 6.9. In 1999, 7,687 abortions were performed, or 9 per 1,000 women. Impeding efforts to further improve health standards are a shortage of doctors (especially in rural areas and small towns), inadequate public education, poor housing, and improper sanitation.
As of 2000, the leading causes of death (with their mortality rates per 100,000 population were heart disease, 252.1; cancer,210.2; and accidents and adverse effects, 50.3. The state has mounted major programs to detect heart disease and high blood pressure, reduce infant mortality, and expand medical education. In 2000, the state's overall death rate of 941.5 per 100,000 inhabitants was well above the national average.
The death rate due to HIV-related infections stood at 6.7 per 100,000 population, higher than the US average of 5.3 in 2000. A total of 10,237 AIDS cases had been reported in South Carolina through 2001.
South Carolina's 62 community hospitals had 505,294 admissions and 11,282 beds in 2001. There were 14,354 full-time registered nurses and 1,999 full-time licensed practical nurses in 2001 and 234 physicians per 100,000 population in 2000. The average expense of a community hospital for care was $1,282.70 per inpatient day in 2001.
Federal government grants to cover the Medicare and Medicaid services in 2001 totaled $2.2 billion; 579,597 enrollees received Medicare benefits that year. At least 12.3% of South Carolina's residents were uninsured in 2002.