Oulu Finland Above-Averagely Sick
An online index of morbidity in Finland has found that Northern Finland is far more chronically ill than the south.
Published by the Health and Welfare department, the online database allows users to compare the morbidity rates of different municipalities. Morbidity is generally defined as the rate of incidence of illness.
The online index records various conditions according to their mortality rate, proneness to cause disability, impact on quality of life and cost to the healthcare system and thus to the taxpayer.
The index gives each municipality a health rating. Overall, eastern and northern Finland are far more ill than southern or western Finland.
The index is averaged to 100 meaning that you can you see how far above or below average any municipality is. Oulu is graded 113.9. slightly sicker than average- It is around the average on most ratings except for mental illness (141.9), and dementia (122.5). The sickest municipality is Kaavi, in the east, with a rating of over 158.
With a rating 26.3, the island of Sottunga, off the south west coast, is the healthiest place in the country. With 104 residents, it is the smallest municipality in Finland. It is also 89 percent Swedish-speaking and part of the autonomous Åland islands.
The index can be consulted here: http://www.terveytemme.fi/sairastavuusindeksi/
