Stats Show BC Residents Are Living Healthy Lives
Saturday, February 25, 2012 @ 4:17 AM
Prince George, B.C. – British Columbians continue to live long and healthy lives, according to the 2010 Vital Statistics Annual Report from the Ministry of Health.
Life expectancy in B.C. remains the highest in Canada at 81.7 years for 2006-10, up from 81.4 for 2005-09. B.C.’s population also grew naturally by 13,647 in 2010, or at rate of 2.8 per thousand.
The report states cancer death rates in B.C. are falling, heart disease mortality rates are lower and death rates from Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis have dropped to 1994 levels.
However, mortality rates for chronic diseases like diabetes have increased slightly from 2009. At 55, the number of HIV deaths in B.C. in 2010 is down from 63 in 2009, and the lowest since 1995. This lower figure can be attributed to 30 years of leading-edge research along with community and health system efforts, which have helped turn HIV/AIDS from what was once a deadly epidemic into a chronic but manageable condition.
The government says B.C. is the only province in Canada that is demonstrating a consistent decline in HIV. The vital statistics document also found that just more than half the 2010 births in British Columbia were from mothers aged 30-39. In recent decades there has also been a gradual increase in multiple birth rates in B.C., rising from 1.9 per cent of all live births in 1986 to 3.2 per cent in 2010.
The 139th edition of the Vital Statistics Annual Report contains information collected from registrations of births, deaths, and marriages that happened in 2010. Information from the report is used for various aspects of health planning, research and education.
Comments
B.C.’s very low rate (only 3%) of fluoridation with hexafluorosilicic acid of tap water may be contributing to the good numbers. 97% of B.C. is now fluoride addition free. Only Prince George, Terrace, Fort St. John and Prince Rupert still stubbornly cling this highly controversial and potentially harmful method. Prince Rupert’s fluoridation system has been down for a while. The city is looking for funds to repair and maintain the broken down system. Nobody would miss the stuff if it never gets repaired.
One can only hope that other tap water fluoridation systems will break down as soon as possible.
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