Residents of Dublin’s Oliver Bond flats are twice as likely to have respiratory illnesses like asthma as their neighbours, a new study has found.
An analysis of respiratory health in a local GP practice, that caters to residents of the flats and people living in the area, found that "even adjusting for whether a patient had a medical card or not, Oliver Bond House residents were still 1.9 times as likely to have evidence for asthma in their medical records as other patients in the same practice".
The report from Trinity College Dublin examined the asthma rates of the residents of one of Ireland's oldest and largest block of flats.
Oliver Bond House occupants teamed up with the School of Medicine to shine a light on the mould and damp issues that have been plaguing their homes for decades.
A previous study found 82% of residents reported issues with mould and damp, 74% have drafts or poor insulation and cannot keep their homes warm, while over 30% have water coming into their flat.
Oliver Bond flats in Dublin city, 30-6-21. Image: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie"There is evidence from published literature that poor housing conditions can contribute to poor respiratory health and that interventions can reduce this effect," the report said.
"Taken together, this offers additional arguments for work to improve the condition of Oliver Bond House."
There are plans to regenerate the complex, that was built in the 1930s, but it is thought it could take up to 20 years to complete the project.
Oliver Bond Residents’ Group Chairperson Gayle Cullen said they can't wait that long.
"We know that regeneration can’t happen overnight but we just can’t be asked to wait another 20 years for it to be completed while an entire generation are forced to live in dire, unsafe conditions that have a negative impact on their health," she said.
"Many older residents will pass away in these conditions," she added.
Report author Noel McCarthy has said the study is part of a SMART D8 project aiming to increase collaboration across local health services and communities.
"There's that community level unit where people work together, including using data that's available in great detail at a local level compared to purely individual or national data," he said.
He added that it's useful as people on the ground "can form their own questions and can work together to answer them."
