Chronic disease continues to claim hundreds of Ballarat lives every year, with the percentage of people dying before the age of 75 jumping dramatically over the five years from 2017 to 2021.
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The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's Mortality Over Region and Time report revealed 321 Ballarat residents aged under 75 died in 2021, 16 per cent more than in 2017 when 276 'premature' deaths were recorded.
Coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dementia, and cerebrovascular disease including stroke were in the top five killers of both men and women across the five-year period, with prostate cancer in men and lung cancer in women rounding up the top killers.
But there are concerns that number could increase in reports over coming years after COVID saw many regular health checks missed and chronic health conditions that went untreated, or under-treated.
Among men, the suicide rate in Ballarat was about 40 per cent higher than the state average but in women was not among the top 20 causes of death.
Sixty-two Ballarat men took their own lives from 2017 to 2021.
Suicide was the eighth most common cause of death among men in Ballarat, the ninth nationally and 10th in Victoria with the city recording a rate of 23.2 per 100,000 compared to 16.3 across Victoria.
It comes despite greater efforts to provide increased mental health support and services for men, women and adolescents across the city in a situation where booming demand sees continued pressure on the mental health sector.
The average age of death for men in Ballarat rose over the five years from 78.7 to 77.9, but for women it was a different story with the average age at death dropping from 85.7 in 2017 to 83.7 in 2021.
But Australians on average are living longer than ever before and to very old ages.
IN OTHER NEWS
The average life expectancy in Australia has increased to 83.2 years in 2021, ranking fifth among 38 other OECD countries while the number of Australians aged 100 or older continues to boom.
There were two deaths of people aged 110 or older in the decade beginning 1964, and 31 in the decade beginning 2012.
- If you or someone you know need support, phone Lifeline 13 11 14, Beyond Blue 1300 224 636 or beyondblue.org.au.
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