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Greater Manchester’s Covid death rate has been 25% above the remainder of England during the pandemic, new research has found.
The study into the impact of the virus within the region also said anticipation in north-west England declined more during 2020 than in England overall.
The report says health inequalities in Greater Manchester are exposed and amplified by the pandemic.
It involves more resources directed at education, employment and housing.
The report was originally commissioned in 2019 by the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership – the devolved health body liable for health across the town region.
It asked one among the world’s leading experts on health inequalities, Prof Sir Michael Marmot, to seem at how it could improve the health of Manchester’s population.
But the pandemic led to a change in emphasis, meaning today’s report looks at the toll the virus has taken across the world .
It found the town had a 25% higher Covid-19 death rate than England as an entire within the 13 months to March 2021.
That high death rate contributed to a decline in anticipation within the wider North West that was larger than the typical in England, it said.
Life expectancy within the North West fell in 2020 by 1.6 years for men and 1.2 years for ladies compared with a mean in England of 1.3 years and 0.9 years respectively.
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‘We’re all struggling since Gary died’
In the garden of their family range in Oldham, Gary Gilmartin’s sisters Jayne Risby and Debbie Phillips are still coming to terms with the death of their brother.
“He was just really special, a very special person. I’d say out of all the family he was the important character,” says Jayne of her brother.
Gary, brother of Jayne Risby
image captionGary died in 2020 after catching Covid
Gary fell ill after a family holiday to Spain in March of 2020, even as the pandemic was beginning .
Three weeks after dancing and singing karaoke together with his sisters in Benidorm, Gary was dead.
A dedicated Manchester City fan, Jayne says her brother was hugely popular.
“He was just a huge Mancunian, tons of individuals in Manchester just absolutely loved him.”
Gary’s sisters
image captionGary’s sisters, Jayne and Debbie, spoke to the BBC
And Jayne says the entire family – Gary was one among five siblings – is battling grief.
“The loss of him affects us now for the remainder of our lives, we’ll never have Gary around for a celebration , we’ll never have him round for dinner.
“I just desire he’s been stolen faraway from us and it’s left a huge void.”
Both sisters know that Gary is one name among many thousands – all a painful story of loss.
“There’s millions aren’t there, all worldwide. Really, we’re all suffering.”
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In the report, Sir Michael says the pandemic exposed and amplified existing issues within the city.
“Greater Manchester has high levels of avoidable health inequalities as a results of longstanding economic and social inequities, and as across the country, ethnic disadvantage,” he said.
“The city region has also experienced high rates of mortality from Covid-19 and particularly damaging long-term economic and social effects during the pandemic as a results of prolonged lockdowns.
“The quite recommendations that I make aren’t almost health care or not almost public health.
“They’re about housing and transport and community development and jobs and schools. It cuts across the board. and that we got to spend to enhance the health and wellbeing for future generations also as for now.”
The proposals also include a involve extra resources for early years care, better psychological state services for children , and measures concerning the environment and workplaces.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has welcomed the report’s findings.
“The pandemic has brutally exposed just how unequal England actually is,” he said. “People have lived Parallel Lives over the last 18 months.
“People in low-paid, insecure work have often had little choice in their level of exposure to Covid – and therefore the risk of getting it and bringing it back home to those they accept .
“Levelling up must start within the communities that are hit hardest by the pandemic.
“To improve the nation’s physical and psychological state , we’d like to start out by giving all fellow citizens an honest job and good home.”
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