Report on Avoidable Deaths from the New Brunswick Health Council

Submitted by Nay O'Leary,
Executive Director for Citizen Engagement 

The New Brunswick Health Council released an article on avoidable deaths in New Brunswick. The article "Avoidable deaths in New Brunswick: What the Data tells us" (https://nbhc.ca/avoidabledeaths) offers observations on avoidable deaths rates across the province and the variability between the seven health zones as well as an outlook on the leading causes of avoidable deaths in each health zone.

 The main observations include:

• Not all regions are the same - while New Brunswick’s overall rate of avoidable deaths is higher than the Canadian average, some zones have lower rates.
  
• Every year, about 2,000 New Brunswickers die from causes that could have been avoided. Six causes are behind half of these deaths.
  
• Avoidable deaths highlight deeper challenges affecting people’s health. 

Avoidable deaths are a key indicator of population health and highlight regional disparities and factors that influence health outcomes. They reflect the combined impact of various determinants of health, including health behaviours, social and economic factors, physical environment, and health services.

This article provides data that can help health system stakeholders and community leaders better understand the causes of avoidable deaths, set priorities, and target resources where they will have the greatest impact.

A better understanding of the causes of potentially avoidable deaths specific to each health zone in the province is essential to guide action and strengthen prevention efforts where they will make the greatest difference.

Read the full article here: https://nbhc.ca/avoidabledeaths

Questions on the article:
Contact Patricia Rosselet at [email protected]