More women in far-western New South Wales are dying from dehydration than from breast cancer and deaths by suicide are two times the rate compared with women living in Sydney.
Key points:
- The report found a person in far-western NSW is more than twice as likely to die prematurely than someone in Sydney
- Life expectancy is nearly six years lower in the far west, and is getting worse
- Suicide is twice as likely for residents in the far west, with rates trending up
These are just some of the alarming findings published in the first release of a series of reports by The Australia Institute.
The Unlucky Country analyses publicly available health data and is the first in a series looking at wider trends across regional and remote Australia.
The report’s author, Kate McBride, who was born and raised in Western NSW, warned that the gap in health outcomes overall was projected to grow wider unless there was immediate investment in rural health.
“Premature death is an indication of the health system and how effective it is,” she said.
“What we found is that the people in Far West NSW are two times more likely to die prematurely.
“What’s really alarming is that when you look at the trends over time, we see that Sydney life expectancy continues to increase … while essentially [the] Far West has plateaued.
“So not only have we got almost six years difference in life expectancy, but it’s actually getting worse.”
In a comparison of the leading causes of death, pulmonary heart disease and dementia top city and country alike.
However, suicide and dehydration become more common in the far west further down the top 10 list of causes of death, replacing heart failure and breast cancer, which are more common in Greater Sydney.
Ms McBride was surprised to discover that while other causes of death were fairly equally shared across genders, suicide and dehydration had stark gender differentials.
“Suicide is a lot more common in men in the far west … [and] people dying of dehydration, the sixth most common cause of death, is actually women.”
Suicide rates increase with remote living
Potentially avoidable deaths are also two and a half times more likely to occur in the Far West than in Sydney, according to the study.
“There’s a nationally agreed definition for causes of death for people below the age of 75 that are potentially preventable through care or are treatable through existing primary care,” Ms McBride said.
“These are deaths that, in today’s day and age, with the effectiveness of health screenings available, people shouldn’t be dying from.”
Ms McBride said the report also highlighted that disproportionately high rates of suicide had been on an upward trend in Western NSW for at least a decade.
“Suicide rates increase as you get more remote,” she said.
Shadow Health Minister Ryan Park said the report reinforced findings from the parliamentary inquiry that looked at health and hospital services in rural, regional, and remote NSW.
“While the [state] government likes to cut ribbons on shiny new buildings, there is a dire need for additional resources and staff to help address this health crisis,” he said.
The ABC reached out to Regional Health and Mental Health Minister Bronnie Taylor.
In a written response, a spokesperson said the region was benefiting from “record investment” from the state coalition government.
“In 2022, the suicide rate for Far West and Orana fell to 12.6, its lowest level in seven years, and well below the regional NSW average of 15.2. This region now has one of the lowest rates in the state,” the statement said.
“Since 2019, overall suicides in regional NSW have decreased by 9.23 per cent, with men down by 10.55 per cent, and regional young people 24 and under down by 60 per cent — a decrease not seen for generations.”
