Poverty and health: WHO tells us what we know already. Now, do something!

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West | GP explains life expectancy gap:
Dr Robert Jamieson
Bridgeton Health Centre

"'In Abercromby Street, where my practice is, the average male life expectancy is about 53 years old,' he said.

'There is a high incidence of mental illness like depression, which leads to a number of organic problems.

One of the postal sectors here has the lowest income in the UK. That means people have less money to spend on basics like food, clothes and travel to work

'It's not surprising that we see more cases of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, asthma and bronchitis than areas like Lenzie.'

Dr Jamieson said the reasons behind the deep-rooted health problems in Calton were numerous and complex but poverty played a major part.

'One of the postal sectors here has the lowest income in the UK,' he said.

'That means people have less money to spend on basics like food, clothes and travel to work.

'This is made worse by other social problems like poor housing and community safety.

'The area also has serious problems with gang and knife culture, and of course drug and alcohol abuse, which are colossal contributors to early death.'"