THE WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) has said it is shocked that 17 per cent of households in Ireland are "fuel poor".
In a report on health equity published yesterday, the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health said fuel poverty had a negative effect on health and was "very socially patterned".It defined fuel poverty as an inability to heat one's home to an adequate temperature due to low household income and low energy efficiency.
The report, Closing the Gap in a Generation - Health Equity through Action on the Social Determinants of Health, said there was a role for local government to monitor the health and health-equity impacts of housing, building and infrastructure standards.
"It is shocking that in an economically rich country such as the Republic of Ireland, a remarkable 17 per cent of households are fuel poor," the report said.
It quoted a study from Torquay in England where houses in a council estate with high levels of deprivation were given improved central heating, insulation and ventilation. This produced warmer, drier houses which were cheaper to heat, and residents subsequently reported improvements in their health and wellbeing.
The report also found that cities in both rich and poor countries are facing a crisis in availability of and access to affordable quality housing. "This crisis will worsen social inequities in general and in health in particular," it said.
