title: Health in the Isle of Man
text: # Health in the Isle of Man
  
  Life expectancy on the Isle of Man at birth was estimated at 81.3 years in 2017, 79.6 years for men and 83.2 years for women. The Infant mortality rate was 4 deaths per 1,000 live births. The birth rate in 2016 reached a 30-year low. Between 1996, and 2016 the number of people over 95 years of age increased by 188%.
  
  ## Public health
  
  The Public Health Directorate has a budget of around £1.6 million a year. It runs school awareness programmes and the Stoptober anti-smoking scheme. Henrietta Ewart is the Director of Public Health.
  
  About a quarter of five year olds have tooth decay. A three-month supervised toothbrushing pilot project in six nurseries was started in September 2017 organised by the Public Health Directorate, with plans for a wider programme starting in 2018.
  
  