Core Aim 3 - Enjoy the best possible physical and mental, social and emotional health, including freedom from abuse, victimisation and exploitation

The aim is to promote health and well-being for all children and young people and to ensure timely accessible services for those who experience illness, disability or other problems. Children and young people’s needs must be met in an appropriate and age-sensitive manner.  They must also be safeguarded from abuse, neglect and exploitation.  Their health and protection make an important contribution to their chances of participating and enjoying life both while they are young and throughout their later lives.

Since the Industrial Revolution made Merthyr Tydfil the largest town in Wales during the 18^th century, it has never enjoyed the best of health. In becoming the biggest single producer of iron ore in the world, the majority of the town’s freshwater supplies were diverted to meet the needs of the foundries; what was left of the River Taff became an open sewer and mortality rates were among the highest in Britain. During the first half of the 19^th century, 60% of all burials in Merthyr Tydfil were for children under the age of five.

Although this was 250 years ago, the people of Merthyr Tydfil are still relatively unhealthy compared to the rest of Wales. Life expectancy for males born in Merthyr Tydfil between 2002-04 is just 73.8yrs, the second lowest in Wales; females fare no better, their life expectancy of 78.1yrs is the lowest among all local authority areas.

The Welsh Health Survey, conducted in 2003/04, showed Merthyr Tydfil to have the lowest Physical Component Summary Score in Wales. This gives an indication of how people feel about their own health and is obtained by using the SF-36 questionnaire, a widely used tool for self-perceived description of an individual’s general health.

Physical Health Component Summary Score, Welsh Health Survey 2003/04

The same questionnaire also produced a similarly worrying self-assessment of the mental health of people living in Merthyr Tydfil. A score of 47.3 was significantly below the national average and only higher than one other Local Health Board area, Blaenau Gwent. Whilst this is not a clinical test, it does indicate a worrying trend about the well being of people in Merthyr Tydfil.

In addition, the lifestyle of people in Merthyr Tydfil shows worrying trends. Levels of smoking, obesity and alcohol consumption within the cohort surveyed for the Welsh Health Survey were all significantly above the Wales average.

These results do not provide an accurate picture in terms of the health of children and young people because the survey sample size was 30,000 adults and 7,500 children. However, they do form a strong evidence base about the population as a whole and are instructive in providing a picture of children and young people in the area.

All these facts are borne out in the most recent Life Expectancy figures released by National Statistics. Merthyr has the second lowest expectancy in Wales for both men and women born in the two-year period 2004-2006.

However the actual figures – 75.5 years for men, 79.1 years for women – are better than the 2003-2005 figures of 74.4 and 78.6 years respectively. This compares favourably with the all Wales averages for men and women, which were unchanged over this period.