THE DEPARTMENT OF Health has released its comprehensive yearly look at Ireland’s health.
The Health in Ireland Key Trends report takes a look into the demographics, population health and expenditure on health services.
Here’s what it shows:
People in Leitrim, Longford and Louth are having the highest number of babies per head of population, Dublin is having the lowest.
Ireland’s percentage of over-65 population is highest in Connacht and Kerry
Ireland’s men and women are living longer than the EU average
We generally think we’re pretty healthy
Way more than the EU, anyway
30,000 people died in 2013, with diseases of the circulatory system accounting for 9,654 of those and cancer killing 8,814.
Longford and Carlow have particular problems with respiratory diseases
Cancer and deaths from other causes in Ireland have dropped dramatically in the last 20 years
We’re bellow the EU average for road deaths, but above average for deaths by suicide
We’re also below the EU average in infant mortality
Irish people don’t survive some cancers as long as the EU average
Consumption of alcohol and tobacco has fallen in the last 20 years
Transplant numbers are up, with far more kidney transplants than anything else
Fewer people are are being admitted to psychiatric hospitals, but more young people are being admitted
Mayo, Donegal and Louth have the highest proportion of medical cards
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