Bradford: New £4.7m centre will tackle health inequalities

Researchers will look at issues including childhood obesity, lack of green space and drug use

A £4.7m centre to examine health problems caused by inequality is to be launched in Bradford.

The life expectancy of people living in the city's wealthiest areas is up to 11 years higher than that of residents in deprived areas, the council said.

Researchers will look at issues including childhood obesity, lack of green space and drug use.

Susan Hinchcliffe, Bradford Council leader, said the centre will help create new policies "that work".

The National Institute for Health and Care Research will be funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The money will be spent on employing specialist researchers, policy makers and support staff for the next five years.

Research gathered by the centre will be shared nationally.

Ms Hinchcliffe said: "It is simply unacceptable that in 21st-century Britain we have such huge gaps in health equality.

"Few local authorities currently possess the capacity to undertake research of the type and rigour required to find out what really works and deliver large-scale impact on health inequalities. This funding will help us to gather that evidence and implement policies and practice that work."

Bradford is one of 13 areas allocated funding by the government to research health inequalities.