Vol. 516 No. 2
120 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the recent survey carried out by researchers at Oxford university which shows that Ireland is bottom of the league in status in the prevention of death from coronary heart disease and in the environs of its major risk factors. [7368/00]
In July of last year the Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, launched the cardiovascular health strategy group report, Building Healthier Hearts. It showed that our premature death rate from coronary heart disease for men is twice the EU average that our death rates for women are also twice the EU average. The report is very comprehensive and its recommendations are far reaching. My Department has set a medium term objective to bring our levels of premature deaths from cardiovascular disease in line with the EU average at a minimum and a long-term objective of reducing our rates to those of the best performers in the EU. This strategy document is designed to achieve these goals in a systematic and sustained manner. While it is felt that it will take five years to implement the 211 recommendations, £12 million has been made available in 2000 to fund the cardiovascular health strategy. This additional funding will be the foundation for the implementation process of some of the more immediate recommendations across the health services. Progress will be achieved this year in health promotion, primary care, pre-hospital care, hospital care, and in the area of audit and evaluation.
