Michael Finucane
Question:99 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Health the reason there was an increase in the number of deaths from pneumonia from 48.7 per 100,000 in 1987 to 58.3 in 1990; and whether this trend continued in 1991.
Written Answers. - Pneumonia Mortalities.
I am circulating in the Official Report a table which sets out the mortality rates per 100,000 population from pneumonia for each year from 1980 to 1990, inclusive. The evidence from this data points to an underlying downward trend in mortality from pneumonia. The relatively high figure of 58.3 for 1990 was in large measure due to the effects of the flu epidemic of the winter of 1989-90 in increasing the numbers of deaths of elderly people with pre-existing respiratory conditions during the first quarter of 1990. Preliminary figures for the first three quarters of 1991 suggest some reduction in mortality from pneumonia compared with the corresponding period for 1990.
Deaths per 100,000 population from Pneumonia 1980-1990
|
Year |
Rate per 100,000 |
|
1980 |
63.2 |
|
1981 |
62.1 |
|
1982 |
60.0 |
|
1983 |
62.7 |
|
1984 |
57.0 |
|
1985 |
60.5 |
|
1986 |
61.8 |
|
1987 |
48.7 |
|
1988 |
50.8 |
|
1989* |
46.4 |
|
1990* |
58.3 |
* Provisional figures based on year of registration rather than year of occurrence.