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Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique logoLink to Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique
. 1999 Nov 1;90(6):372–376. doi: 10.1007/BF03404137

Widening Regional Inequality in Premature Mortality Rates in Manitoba

Cameron A Mustard 14,24,34,44,✉, Shelley Derksen 14, Charlyn Black 14
PMCID: PMC6979880  PMID: 10680258

Abstract

Objective: To describe regional trends in premature mortality in Manitoba

Design: Comparison of all-cause and causespecific mortality of persons less than age 75 in 11 Regional Health Authority populations over two time periods: 1985–89 and 1990–94.

Results: The provincial premature mortality rate declined over the two time periods (4.00/1,000 to 3.72/1,000). Declines were also observed in 9 of 11 regional populations. Premature mortality increased, however, in the 2 regional populations with the highest mortality rates in the first observation period.

Conclusion: Declining premature mortality in low mortality populations and rising premature mortality in high mortality populations has resulted in a widening of regional mortality rates in Manitoba. Recent policy initiatives in many provinces, including the devolution of authority for the management and delivery of health services and the implementation of population need-based funding formulas to share health care resources among regional health authorities, if implemented, have the potential to partially mitigate the processes producing these widening regional health inequalities.

Footnotes

This research was supported in part by funding from the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation and the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and Evaluation

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