Mortality in the Hunter Region, New South Wales, 1970 to 1977

For the past two decades, crude mortality rates for the Hunter Health Region of New South Wales have been consistently higher by about 5% than those for the State in general. This is, in part, attributable to a concentration of deaths, particularly of those from ischaemic heart disease and stroke, in two major industrial areas within the Region. Favourable modification of these mortality inequalities may be possible in some cases through legislation and education. The importance of these inequalities for planning health care resources is also discussed.