PLANS to eliminate health inequalities that spring from poverty and disadvantage will be the remit of an inter-agency team in Limerick.
The Limerick Health Equity Oversight Group, comprising of senior leaders from more than a dozen organisations and agencies in Limerick, established by Limerick City and County Council and HSE Mid West, met with the first directly-elected Mayor of the Greater Manchester area, Andy Burnham, as part of continued efforts to establish Ireland’s first Health Equity Region.
Also at the meeting was Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig, discuss the city’s work reducing health inequalities, including its eight years as a ‘Marmot Place’ – a framework enabling local authorities, public services, and organisations to prioritise the reduction of health inequalities in the community.
“The vision is to create a fairer, healthier Limerick by addressing the social determinants of health (SDH), which is a shared priority for Limerick City and County Council and the HSE,” a spokesman said.
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SDHs are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, and live. Examples include housing, employment, and education. This approach is recognised and supported by the World Health Organisation, the spokesman explained.
The oversight group will start its work focusing on the Marmot principle of giving every child the best start in life.
The initial focus will be in the south and north of Limerick City, including the city centre, which covers a population of 75,986. Of this population, 36.4 per cent are disadvantaged.
The only two ‘extremely disadvantaged’ electoral districts in Ireland are located in this area.
“People living in disadvantaged circumstances are known to have poorer health, and shorter lives. The oversight group has been established in order to collaborate with communities to improve their health outcomes,” the spokesman said.
Following the meeting, Mayor Moran said: “I cannot as a leader stand passively over the record we have in Limerick when it comes to health inequalities between our communities.”
“We know we need to push for braver action. This is another small step towards that process and ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, has equal health opportunity in Limerick. ”
HSE Mid West regional executive officer Sandra Broderick added that “it was an invaluable experience to learn from a global leader, Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham, in building a healthier, fairer city”.
Chairperson of the group and Public Health regional director Dr Mai Mannix noted that “the Mid West region has the highest proportion of social disadvantage in the country, with many communities in Limerick City still suffering extreme disadvantage”.
“These communities are significantly more likely to need emergency care or treatment for chronic illness due to the burden of their environment, including high unemployment, housing instability, food poverty, low education, mental health, addiction and more.
“These are social determinants of health which must be addressed in order to tackle health inequalities in their communities. By focusing on children initially and primarily, we are ensuring greater supportive and nurturing environments that will benefit them, their families, and their next generation.”