Monday 21 November 2011

Death rates down but incinerator impact ignored in Kirklees


There was good news last week when it was revealed that fewer babies in Kirklees - comprising Huddersfield, Batley and Dewsbury - are dying before their first birthday.  Death rates have dropped from 6.1 per live births to 5.5 per thousand in the last couple of years. 
That’s still, though, above the national average of 4.7 per thousand. According to health professionals it’s all down to obesity, smoking, drinking during pregnancy, poor diet and genetic closeness to parents.
Which whilst clearly important means that no examination or tests have been undertaken to see if the locally sited incinerator might just play a part, especially as the cluster of wards where death rates are highest are downwind.
See map from Michael Ryan.
And, of course, as Michael has shown in other much more affluent areas where incinerators are sited such as Chingford, North London, the death rate is also above average downwind.
Now surely, somebody or say an organisation such as the Health Protection Agency should be investigating?
See earlier article on this blog dated August 22nd titled - Doubts grow on promised health study on incinerators impact
Articles on recent reports on birth mortality rates in Kirklees.


No comments:

Post a Comment