Female life expectancy declines for poorer Derry women

Life expectancy for women in Derry and Strabane’s most deprived areas is now 78 years – 3.5 years less than the Local Government District average (81.5 years).

DoH’s latest ‘Health Inequalities Annual Report 2024’ indicates life expectancy for poorer women has declined from 78.1 years.

For poorer men life expectancy, by contrast, increased from 71.1 years to 71.6 years.

Male life expectancy in Derry and Strabane’s most deprived areas, however, was 5.9 years less than the LGD average (77.5 years).

An analysis of the population as a whole shows male life expectancy, at 77.5 years, was 0.9 years less than the average for the North (78.4 years) and female life expectancy, at 81.5 years, was 0.7 years less than the average (82.3 years).

Across 32 health outcome indicators analysed for Derry City & Strabane residents, 15 were worse than the average for the North, 17 were similar to the average, and none of the health outcomes were better.

The research reveals that the majority of outcomes were ‘significantly worse’ for those residing in the 20 per cent most deprived areas of Derry City & Strabane LGD when compared with the Derry City & Strabane LGD average.

The largest inequality gaps in Derry’s poorest areas were for drug related deaths (168%), alcohol specific deaths (149%), alcohol related admissions (116%), drug related admissions (103%), and lung cancer incidence (92%).

A similar picture was demonstrated across the wider Western Trust health area with drug and drink related death and illness much more prevalent among poorer citizens.

“Drug misuse mortality was the largest inequality gap in three of the five HSC Trusts. In the Western Trust, the rate in its most deprived areas was almost two and a half times (145%) the Trust average,” the report states.

It adds: "Large inequality gaps for alcohol related admissions also exist in the majority of Trusts and LGDs. The rate in their most deprived areas was at least double the Trust/LGD average for the Western Trust (115%), Belfast Trust (100%), Derry City & Strabane LGD (116%), and Mid & East Antrim LGD (120%).”

Life expectancy among poorer Derry men falling