Off the wire
• Kenya says preparations complete to host UNCTAD conference  • Feature: Old-fashioned antique shops a treasure trove of relics for dealers in Afghanistan  • 1st LD: EU leaders say "no single market a la carte" for UK  • Egypt reopens Rafah crossing with Gaza for four days  • Albania-Kosovo 400 kV power line inaugurated  • Interview: Theoretical system of CPC underpins China's development, provides lessons for Vietnam: expert  • Zuma extends condolences to Turkey following terror attacks  • 10 Al-Shabaab militants killed in central Somalia  • Urgent: EU's Tusk says "no single market a la carte" for UK  • China Focus: Deeper pockets and digital trends to drive Chinese consumption  
You are here: 　 Home

Quarter of all deaths in England, Wales potentially avoidable: ONS

Xinhua, June 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

Almost a quarter of all deaths in England and Wales were potentially avoidable, a report Wednesday by the Office for National Statistics has revealed.

Having examined all deaths in 2014,its report says that 23 percent of deaths, 116,489 out of 501,424, in England and Wales were from causes considered potentially avoidable through timely and effective healthcare or public health interventions. Males accounted for approximately 60 percent of all avoidable deaths.

ONS said avoidable mortality rates were significantly higher in Wales than in England, while in England, the North East had the highest avoidable mortality rate while the South East had the lowest.

Cancers and non-cancerous abnormal tissue growths were the leading cause of avoidable deaths accounting for 35 percent of all avoidable deaths in England and Wales.

The report also said that almost a third of all deaths of children and young people (aged up to 19 years) were from avoidable causes. This totaled up to 1,443 deaths or 32 percent of deaths among young people.

The highest number of avoidable deaths among children and young people were from accidental injuries, making up 14 percent or 195 out of the total in this age group.

The report also revealed that in 2014, 182 young people killed themselves by suicide or self-inflicted injuries, just slightly more than those killed in traffic accidents (176 of the total).

Anne Campbell from the Mortality Analysis Team at ONS said Wednesday: "The biggest contributors to avoidable deaths are chronic illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. In contrast, accidental injuries and complications surrounding childbirth are the biggest killers of children and young people."

ONS said the figures represent causes of deaths that are considered avoidable in the presence of timely and effective healthcare or public health interventions.

The report added: "On average, each person who died from an avoidable cause lost 23 potential years of life." Endit