There have been real improvements in the health of disadvantaged groups and areas, according to the latest status report on health inequalities published today. The report is the third and final against the national health inequalities strategy, Tackling Inequalities: A Programme for Action which was published in 2003. It reports that the gap in infant mortality is narrowing and life expectancy in the most deprived areas has increased by two and a half years for men and one and a half years for women over the last ten years. However, the gap between the life expectancy of women in the most deprived areas is still widening compared to the rest of the country. The report also states that: “There has been long-term progress in reducing child poverty and narrowing inequalities in housing quality, educational attainment, child road accidents and teenage conceptions; cancer and circulatory heart disease gaps are narrowing; and here has been a general decline in smoking prevalence but no narrowing of the gap. In addition, almost all of the departmental commitments contained in the Programme for Action have been wholly or substantially delivered. These wider improvements will help contribute to a long-term sustainable reduction in health inequalities.”

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13 March 2008
© Department of Health (National)