A new report shows COVID-19 and the ongoing opioid epidemic have lowered overall life expectancy for Indigenous people in BC.
The report was published Wednesday by the First Nations Health Authority and the Provincial Health Officer. It shows that some health metrics are improving for First Nations, such as a decline in infant mortality and a decrease in suicides, but others are getting worse.
Life expectancy at birth declined for Indigenous males by almost seven years and just over five years for females, since 2019. The overall mortality rate also increased by nearly 39 people per 10,000 since 2017.
The report says that’s because of the pandemic and drug crisis, both of which have affected First Nations more than the rest of BC’s population.
