New report sheds light on health inequalities

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), has published a new report analysing health inequalities caused by infectious diseases and environmental hazards. The report has found that people living in the 20% most deprived areas in England are almost twice as likely to be admitted to hospital due to infectious diseases than the least deprived.

Responding to the report, Gillian McLauchlan, the Association of Directors of Public Health’s spokesperson for Health Protection, said:

“Protecting and promoting the public’s health is challenging, with wider social, economic and environmental factors significantly impacting individual – and community – wellbeing.

“Sadly, not everyone has the same opportunity to live a healthy life. To overcome this difference in people’s experience and outcomes, and tackle the health inequalities faced by our populations, everyone, regardless of their background, education, or income, should be able to access the building blocks of health.

“For this to happen, there needs to be an infrastructure in place that promotes and maintains health and wellbeing. That includes access to good jobs and homes, education, public transport and safe green spaces with clean air, and a healthy environment. There also needs to be access to effective services, not just to help people when they are critically ill but also when they need support to stay well.”

Gillian McLauchlan, who is also DPH for Salford City Council, added:

“Part of our job as Directors of Public Health is to protect people from infectious diseases and dangerous substances, and we work in partnership with colleagues in UKHSA, local authorities, the NHS, schools and the voluntary sector to do this. However, to do this effectively for the whole population we need adequate resources and funding.

“The Government has made it clear that it is committed to prevention and it must recognise that both long-term funding and a health in all policies approach are required to have the necessary impact on our health and reduce health inequalities.

“Today’s report shines a light on how important it is that our system is robust and properly resourced so that everyone, and not just those who have easy access to the building blocks of health, can become more resilient to disease and ill health.

“To that end, we will continue to work closely with UKHSA, and the wide range of other partners involved in health protection to achieve the best outcomes for all those in their communities, to help to close the currently unacceptable health inequality gap.”