Health Equity North response to The Health Foundation report on mortality inequalities

"Today's Health Foundation report paints a deeply troubling picture, once again confirming what has long been known — that the health needs of people in northern regions continue to be overlooked. Mortality rates in the North East and North West of England remained 20% higher than in the South West in 2021, reflecting a persistent and unacceptable health divide. "Even more alarming are the drug-related death rates in the North East among those aged 25 to 49. Between 2001 and 2019, these deaths rose by 120% for men and 300% for women — making men 3.5 times and women 4 times more likely to die from drug-related causes compared to London. Furthermore, given that national trends show men are generally at greater risk, the disproportionate impact on northern women is a stark indictment of systemic neglect- a finding already supported by Health Equity North’s recent Woman of the North report. "These worsening mortality rates among working-age adults are not inevitable. They are the direct consequence of long-term underinvestment and entrenched inequalities that have never been properly addressed. "We urgently need bold, targeted health strategies that prioritise prevention, tackle regional disparities and address the root causes of poor health. It’s time for our leaders to move beyond managing decline and start investing in recovery. Health equity must be central to national policy if we are serious about building a stronger, fairer, and more resilient population.”