HEALTH chiefs have been given a £5.4m cash injection to fight Teesside's notorious bad health problems.

With more than 100 local initiatives already in place, the Teesside Health Action Zone is targeting the Government cash at the area's biggest killers, coronary heart disease and cancers.

More than £1.3m will be spent over the next two years on tackling drugs issues and £1.2m on trying to reduce unnecessary elderly care hospital admissions to ease pressure on health care services.

Mental health, cancer work and heart disease issues will each receive £424,000. A further £655,000 will be spent on anti-smoking measures and £1,589,000 will go directly into local authority areas for specific locally based initiatives.

Jim Willson, manager of the Health Action Zone, says the scheme depends on public response, and grassroots enthusiasm to tackle health issues is growing.

He said: "For every 100 people who die in England and Wales, 220 die on Teesside. In some areas of Teesside we have the health rates experienced by England and Wales 25 years ago.

"We have this legacy of bad health. We must address the biggest killers, heart disease and cancers, but also tackle inequalities in health. Through Health Action Zone we are trying to affect these inequalities and are focusing on the worst areas.

"What people eat, drink and do has a major effect on them. It's not just about having a good health service but changing lifestyles."

Dr John Canning, spokesman for the British Medical Association on Teesside said: "All this money is welcome but there is an underlying core problem. There is not enough core funding for people with chronic problems. This money is going on prevention but you have also to address the here and now as well."