Rich poor lifegap widens

Health Minister Edwin Poots revealed the stark implications of health inequalities in response to an Assembly Question.

Last year a report by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) revealed that woman in Londonderry die younger than anywhere else in Northern Ireland whilst the overall death rate here is significantly above the province-wide figure.

Equally, statistics from the Public Health Agency (PHA) have shown that life expectancy in Londonderry was the lowest in Northern Ireland at 74.6 years for the period 2006-8.

Londonderry men can therefore expect to die five years earlier than their counterparts in North Down. Male life expectancy in Londonderry was also lower than in developing countries Libya, Cuba and Albania.

Now the Minister has revealed that the gap in life expectancy between people living in rich areas and people living in poor areas is actually getting worse.

He stated: “Northern Ireland - much like other parts of the UK - continues to experience differences in health and wellbeing outcomes.

“Despite increases in life expectancy across all areas, improvements in the 20 per cent most deprived areas were lower than those seen across NI as a whole.

“Latest information against the targets for male and female life expectancy therefore indicates a widening of the life expectancy gap against the baseline position (female gap increased by 0.2 years and male gap increased 1.1 years) for those living in disadvantaged areas against the Northern Ireland average.”

The gap in life expectancy applies particularly in Londonderry where one in three people are poor whilst the poverty rate for children is even higher at 40 per cent - the highest rates in Northern Ireland, according to the latest statistics available.

Mr Poots said tackling the problem is a priority.

“Tackling health inequalities is an ongoing challenge and that is why my department is in the process of leading the development of a new public health strategic framework which will seek cross-departmental and cross-sectoral support for updated focus on public health priorities, including addressing the social determinants of health,” he stated.

A recent report to Derry City Council highlighted the high level of deprivation in the city with forty per cent (41,487) of people in the city classed as poor.

The shocking figures showed that there are 41,487 people in the Londonderry district experiencing income deprivation and a total of 11,884 people in the area experiencing employment deprivation.

“Both the income and employment deprivation can be presented as rates of the relevant population. 38 per cent of the population have been identified as income deprived while 18 per cent of the population are identified as employment deprived.

“This can be compared to Northern Ireland as a whole where 25 per cent were identified as being income deprived and 13 per cent identified as being employment deprived,” the report states.

The report also showed that the Londonderry area had the highest amount of dole claimants in Northern Ireland over the past two years