Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 4 Apr 2001

Vol. 534 No. 1

Written Answers. - Causes of Death.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

167 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the way in which the number of deaths from various forms of cancer here in each of the past five years compares with figures for other European Union member states per thousand of the population and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10235/01]

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

168 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the extent to which the number of deaths from heart disease here in each of the past five years compares with the figures available per thousand of the population in other European Union member states and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10236/01]

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

169 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of deaths recorded as attributable to smoking related illness in each of the past five years, the way in which these figures compare with those prevailing in other European Union member states and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10237/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 167 to 169, inclusive, together.

Age-standardised mortality rates for EU countries are provided by the World Health Organisation. The latest year for which an EU average rate is available is 1997. Table 1 below sets out the rates per 100,000 population for selected forms of cancer and diseases of the circulatory system for the years 1993 to 1997.

As the table shows, mortality rates for cancer in Ireland are higher than comparable EU average figures. The reasons for this would include variations in health behaviours such as cigarette smoking, dietary factors, alcohol consumption as well as genetic factors. The Department of Health and Children is, through the implementation of the health promotion strategy, attempting to reduce the impact of adverse health behaviours. The Department is also implementing its national cancer strategy and other strategies which have arisen from it, such as the symptomatic breast disease services report. those strategies are attempting to provide for high quality services, through centres of excellence for the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer. It is vital, if such gaps in cancer incidence and mortality are to be closed, that our focus is both upon the prevention of cancer where possible and upon early intervention for those who develop cancer.

Despite significant declines in recent years, mortality rates for heart disease remain high in Ireland compared to the EU average. The Department of Health and Children has set a medium term objective to bring our levels of premature deaths from heart 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. The report of the cardiovascular health strategy group, Building Healthier Hearts, which contains 211 recommendations, is designed to achieve these goals in a systematic and sustained manner over a five year period. As a measure of the Government's commitment to the implementation of this report, structures were put in place at national, regional and local level to drive the implementation process.

Estimated number of deaths from smoking are provided in the publication Mortality from Smoking in Developed Countries 1950-2000, by Richard Peto and others. The estimates are based on an indirect method which uses the results of epidemiological studies of mortality in smokers versus non-smokers in the United States to assign proportions of total mortality due to tobacco for each relevant cause of death. The most recent year available in this publication is 1995 and it indicates that an estimated 20% of deaths (i.e. 5,881 persons) in Ireland in that year were due to smoking. Table 2 provides comparable percentages of total deaths attributable to smoking for each EU country.

The health promotion unit of my Department supports an extensive range of anti-smoking initiatives. The current anti-smoking campaign, Break the Habit for Good, emphasises the positive effect quitting smoking can have on the individual and was launched in December 1998. The campaign involves national and local initiatives which offer support for those people wishing to give up smok ing. It was developed in conjunction with the Irish Cancer Society and a quitline offering professional advice is also provided.

Table 1 – Cancer and Heart Disease: Age-Standardised Mortality Rates

per 100,000 Population for Ireland and EU Average, 1993 to 1997

Year	Country	All Cancers	Cancer of theTrachea, Bronchusand Lung	Cancer of theFemale Breast	Cancer of the Cervix	All CirculatorySystem Diseases	Ischaemic Heart Disease	Stroke
1993	Ireland	220.0	46.8	37.4	4.5	401.3	225.2	82.6
	EU Average	198.6	40.0	31.0	3.2	306.0	124.9	80.4
1994	Ireland	215.6	45.8	37.7	3.6	386.8	218.4	77.7
	EU Average	195.9	39.5	30.5	3.0	291.0	118.0	76.8
1995	Ireland	214.9	45.3	37.4	4.4	385.4	217.2	76.0
	EU Average	193.2	39.4	30.4	2.9	286.5	116.9	74.0
1996	Ireland	208.1	41.6	35.7	4.9	368.6	205.0	74.6
	EU Average	191.0	38.7	29.8	2.8	279.0	113.2	71.4
1997	Ireland	209.8	39.0	35.8	4.8	351.3	194.4	69.4
	EU Average	187.9	38.3	29.0	2.7	270.1	109.4	68.7

Note: Figures for Ireland for 1997 are provisional.

Source: Central Statistics Office and Health for All Database, World Health Organisation.

Table 2: Estimated Deaths from Smoking as a Percentage

of Total Deaths in EU Countries, 1995

Country	%
Austria	12
Belgium	16
Denmark	21
Finland	10
France	12
Germany	13
Greece	13
Ireland	20
Italy	16
Luxembourg	15
Netherlands	19
Portugal	8
Spain	14
Sweden	8
United Kingdom	21

Source: Peto, R. et al. "Mortality from Smoking in Developed Countries 1950-2000".