Poverty behind many premature deaths

A new all-Ireland report on mortality is claiming that there would be fewer people prematurely dying under the age of 65 years if social depravation was stamped out.

The ten-year study found that the death rate is up to 200% higher among the poorer members of Irish society for certain diseases.

The less well-off are more likely to die from cancer, while deaths from heart disease are almost twice as likely.

The Inequalities in Mortality report found the all-Ireland death rate to be far ahead of the EU average.

It also claims that there would be 6,000 fewer people dying under the age of 65 in social imbalance was eliminated.

A copy of the report will be presented to both the Minister for Health, Micheal Martin, and his Northern counterpart, Bairbre de Bruin, today.