B.C. First Nations life expectancy plunges by 6 years, says report

VANCOUVER — A British Columbia report tracking Indigenous health issues says life expectancy for the province’s First Nations people has plunged by more than six years since 2017.

The First Nations Health Authority report says Indigenous life expectancy in B.C. fell from 73.3 years in 2017 to 67.2 years in 2021.

Dr. Nel Wieman, First Nations Health Authority’s chief medical health officer, says the decline was largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the province’s opioid overdose crisis.

She says Indigenous people in B.C. have been disproportionately impacted by both the pandemic and the unregulated toxic drug supply.

Dr. Daniele Behn Smith, B.C.’s deputy provincial health officer, says the report’s life expectancy data is “gut wrenching.”

The report on Indigenous health and wellness also notes an improvement in high school graduation rates among First Nations students and a drop in Indigenous infant mortality.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press