Minister launches health inequalities report

The Minister for Health, Godfrey Farrugia, this morning launched a national report outlining the environmental inequalities found in Malta and the negative effects these have on people's health and well-being.

The report considers various environmental exposures in relation to a number of socio-economic and socio-demographic factors including housing-related inequalities such as the inadequate water supply for some, leaking roofs, damp walls, and the lack of heating facilities in some households and purely environmental disparities such as noise exposure and second-hand smoke at home or at work.

Farrugia said that people have, in time, become more aware of the possible environmental influences on a person's health whilst life expectancy has long been linked to societal inequalities.

"The report has identified a number of environmental health inequalities where targeted action is required," Farrugia said.

"An effective response will only be possible through further research, shared responsibility and continued inter-ministerial and inter-sectoral commitment to collaborative action towards the reduction of inequalities affecting the most vulnerable groups in society," he said.

The minister said that a report issued by WHO (World Health Organisation) in 2009 showed that 14% of Maltese suffer from environmentally-induced diseases with around a third of all cases worldwide being  suffered by children.

Housing-related inequalities

Inadequate water supply

As reported in the WHO Health for All Database for 2008 and 2010, there were no houses in Malta with an inadequate water supply. This means that 100% of Maltese households were connected to a water supply system. The EU rate for these years stood at 96%.

However, in a European Quality of Life survey carried out this year, 12.9% of Maltese respondents said that they had 'major problems' with drinking-quality, whilst 29.1% reported having 'moderate problems'. The EU standards are 5.1% and 15.5%, respectively.

Lack of a flush toilet, bath or shower

The results of a survey carried out by the EU in 2005 showed that 0.2% of the Maltese population reported a lack of an indoor flushing toilet, which decreased to 0.1% in 2011. This was much lower than the EU's average of 3.1%.

Meanwhile, the percentage of the Maltese population having neither a bath nor a shower decreased from 0.8% in 2005 to 0.2% in 2011 with the report suggesting that this remains a problem in dwellings occupied by the elderly.

Problems of dampness or heating

As of 2011, the percentage of the population living in a dwelling with a leaking roof, damp walls, floors or foundation, or rot in the window frames stood at 9.9% . Nearly 24% of people aged over 65 suffered from this.

Overall, the share of the total Maltese population reported to be unable to keep their dwelling adequately warm decreased from 12.6% to 8.6% between 2005 and 2008 but then, as opposed to the EU average which showed a sharp increase to 17.6% in 2011.

Environmental health inequalities

Noise exposure at home from the neighbours or from the street

In 2011, 30.4% of the Maltese population reported being exposed to noise pollution, originating from the community, whilst the EU average at the time stood at 19.9%. The difference between the noise exposure in the EU and Malta has been constantly increasing since 2007.

Lack of access to green or recreational areas

According to 2012 EU figures, access problems to green or recreational areas have been decreasing in Malta, from 43.8% in 2003 to 18.3% in 2012. However, this still remains a challenge when one compares to the EU averages of 13.4% in 2012.

When considering income levels, the data suggest that there are only slight variations without a clear direction, indicating that financial aspects do not play a major role in relation to provision of green and recreational areas.

Second-hand smoke exposure at home and at work

Passive smoking can contribute to various illnesses such as heart disease, sudden infact death syndrome, ear disease, asthma attacks and lung cancer.

In 2008, a European Health Interview Survey showed that almost a quarter (23%) of the total resident Maltese population aged 15 and over was exposed to second-hand smoke at home. This number increased to 28% with regard to second-hand smoke exposure at the work-place.

Problems with air quality

Air pollution is a major environmental problem which causes a range of diseases. It can be a significant challenge due to the diversity of pollution sources such as transport, energy, production, industry and businesses, and household heating.

In Malta, 13.9% of the population reported 'major problems' with air quality in their neighbourhood, whilst 31.9% reported 'moderate problems'. This contrasts greatly with the EU's average of just 5.2% that reports makor problems with air quality.