Evidence from a new pilot project to improve health outcomes in Derry will be used by the Department of Health to address unacceptable gaps in life expectancy and health outcomes.

Derry Journal

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00:00I think I will be having a meeting this week looking at the latest stage of the

00:03development of a better initiative and Mr. Speaker it's maybe worth putting on

00:07record that that initiative is about tackling inequalities, health

00:11inequalities and I always go to one particular statistic which is two women

00:16can be born on the same day in the maternity unit in Belfast, they can grow

00:22up a mile apart but if one is in an area of the greatest deprivation and the

00:27other is living in an area of the least deprivation then their healthy life

00:32expectation, their healthy life expectation will vary by 14.2 years and

00:39I say to the house in a first world country a quarter of the way into the

00:4221st century that simply should not be countenanced and it is beginning to

00:48address that that I have asked officials to bring forward the Live Better

00:52initiative and it will be demonstrated in two areas one in West Belfast one in

00:58Derry stroke London Derry and I hope we will get from that the empirical

01:02evidence that we can make a difference and then I will take it back to

01:05executive colleagues because tackling these things is an all-executive

01:09challenge we believe it's 20% health but 40% socio-economic 10% environment and

01:1630% behaviors and behaviors include things like smoking so the tobacco and

01:21vapes bill going through Westminster will help it's also the abuse of

01:25substances including alcohol and that's why I would like executive colleagues to

01:30support the introduction of minimum unit pricing for alcohol so I say to the

01:34member yes Live Better is very much on course for delivery in 2025

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