birmingham blues

People living in Birmingham’s inner city areas can expect to live up to10 years less than those in the more affluent suburbs says a new report - ‘Unequal Lives’ - by Midlands ‘thinktank’ the Human City Institute.

Ethnic minority communities, especially some Asian communities, are particularly prone to shorter lives because of poverty, poor and overcrowded housing, higher population densities, and poorer air quality.

"It is no coincidence that we use the word ‘poorly’ as a commonplace substitute for ‘ill’. Being poor kills; it shortens life and reduces quality of life. Where we are born is still the major indicator of how we do in life and how healthy we are. There is now a large body of evidence showing that inequality is bad for us..." Ranjit Sondhi, Chair of the Heart of Birmingham Primary Care Trust said.