Past Forward

Excess mortality appears in Glasgow, known as the ‘Glasgow effect’, refers to the lowlife expectancy  and poor health of residents of Glasgow compared to the rest of the United Kingdom and Europe. The city’s population has been made more vulnerable to the important influences on population health (poverty, deprivation, deindustrialization, economic decisions taken at UK government level), consequently leading to poorer health than in other places like Liverpool and Manchester which had similar experiences. When life expectancy in Manchester is 75, the average life expectancy of Glaswegian is only 71. From trading to shipbuilding, and then sadly, the Clydebank blitz, industrial and River Clyde have been played as really important part in Glaswegian’s daily life. Some communities where as many as four generations have never been recovered from the dismantling of the city’s industrial base in 1970s which is at the root of Glasgow health problem. The loss of industry has witnessed the hollowing out of the city. And this greater vulnerability has been created by a toxic combination of a whole series of historical factors, processes and political decisions.

 

Key Themes: Politics, Industry