Northern Ireland child health ’making progress, but slower than other countries’

A new report has revealed that the health of children in Northern Ireland is ‘among the worst in Western Europe’.

The report, State of Child Health - Northern Ireland, blames the widening gap between rich and poor for putting the health of Northern Ireland’s children in jeopardy. It also causes worry about obesity, low breastfeeding rates, and mortality. Its authors conclude that restricting the use of alcohol and smoking, trying harder to tackle obesity and implementing a child poverty strategy will help in solving the problem.

The report looked at 25 health indicators, including asthma, diabetes and epilepsy, as well as risk factors such as obesity, low breastfeeding rates and mortality. It found that in Northern Ireland in 2014/15, 23 per cent of children lived in poverty, in comparison to 19 per cent in the rest of the UK. More than 28 per cent were overweight or obese.

Dr Karl McKeever, the RCPCH Officer for Ireland, said: "Poverty is having a devastating effect on families - with smoking and drinking alcohol, poor mental health and obesity amongst children and young people all more likely to affect those from the most deprived backgrounds. The current political vacuum makes it difficult to enact policy change. But ultimately, the state of child health will not improve without bold action from policy makers."