Council to contact Mike Nesbitt about piloting Live Better health inequalities drive in Derry/Strabane
Council members will write to Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, about piloting the ‘Live Better’ health initiative within the Derry City and Strabane District.
Earlier this month Mr Nesbitt outlined plans to pilot the initiative, which aims to tackle socioeconomic status-based inequalities in health provision, in two locations over the next six months.
SDLP councillor Rory Farrell made the initial proposal to contact the Minister at a Full Council Meeting on Wednesday, July 24.
A recent Health Inequalities Annual Report identified Derry City and Strabane as the second-worst council area in the North for health outcomes, which councillor Farrell described as ‘shocking’.
Councillor Farrell said: “It clearly demonstrates that there is a clear link between poverty, deprivation and poor health outcomes.
“Mike Nesbitt has announced that he's going to have a pilot in two specific areas, but he hasn't told us where they're going to be.
“We welcome the initiative and we welcome that there's going to be a pilot, but one of them needs to be here in this council area.”
Sinn Féin councillor Christopher Jackson supported the motion, but suggested that a location within the district was already selected for the pilot programme.
“We are of the understanding that the decision's already been made and that one of the pilots is indeed within this council area,” Councillor Jackson said. “But it does no harm to send a letter to recommit that request.”
The Department of Health’s latest annual report on health inequalities demonstrated that in 2020-22 female life expectancy in Derry and Strabane’s most deprived areas stood at 78 years – which was three-and-a-half years less than the district average of 81.5 years.