Health of the People of Lanarkshire

The chapter on the health of people in Lanarkshire shows the continued increase in population and the ageing of the population.

While there are fewer births than in 2009, the birth rate remains three per cent above the Scottish rate.

Life expectancy continues to increase in Lanarkshire but is still, on average, one year less than the rest of Scotland.

More than half of all deaths (52 per cent) in 2010 were due to the so-called ‘big killer’ diseases of cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke. Encouragingly, over the past 10 years, this proportion has decreased by almost 10 per cent (from 61 per cent in 2001), mostly as the result of a decrease in deaths from coronary heart disease.

This chapter also highlights the projected increase in cancer due to our ageing population but also to the improved treatment of, and survival from, common causes of premature mortality.

In these video clips director of Public Health Dr Harpreet Kohli discusses people's life expectancy in Lanarkshire, the "big killer" diseases, cancer and the Keep Well project.