Abstract
A Call to Action for a Cross-Government Strategy on Health Inequalities
A new policy paper calling for a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities has been published by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), following their campaign with the Inequalities in Health Alliance (IHA) which was launched in October 2020.
A January 2023 survey for RCP members found that almost a third of physicians had seen an increase in people suffering from illness as a result of their living conditions. The last year has also seen the impact of a rising cost of living on ill health in the population, and recent projections suggest that by 2040, there will be 2.5 million more people living in England who suffer from a major illness such as cancer, diabetes and kidney disease.
In order to improve health, the RCP is calling for a focus on tackling the factors that contribute to ill health, including poor housing, air quality, the marketing of food, alcohol and nicotine, un- or underemployment, racism and discrimination and transport. Therefore, a collective and coordinated effort across the full breadth of government is needed to address this issue. The RCP’s call to action addresses the following:
A cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities.
The government to maintain a commitment to publishing the full report of the Major Conditions Strategy in 2024.
Political parties to prioritise tackling health inequalities and to commit to a cross-government strategy for tackling health inequalities at the next general election.
For more information, please visit: RCP view on health inequalities: a call to action for a cross-government strategy. Royal College of Physicians, 26 October 2023. Available online at: https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/guidelines-policy/rcp-view-health-inequalities-call-action-cross-government-strategy (last accessed 11 November 2023).
Politicians Who Delay Climate Action Must Live with the Impact on Human Health
Any politicians who act to postpone climate action must be prepared to live with the repercussions, says the World Health Organization’s (WHO) top environment expert. On Thursday 2nd November 2023, the World Meteorological Organization and many other research bodies published a forewarning that the issue of climate change is a significant threat to human health, with the possibility to undo decades of progress.
‘Nobody will be able to say ‘I didn’t know’,’ said Maria Neira, the doctor leading environmental health at the WHO. ‘No one will leave Cop this year saying ‘Oh, I didn’t know health was affected’. We will make sure that this will not be the case. Everyone needs to know this is not just about climate, polar bears and glaciers. This is about my lungs and your lungs.’
When coal, oil and gas are burned, they emit toxic particles that kill millions each year. These can also heat the planet, which then leads to extreme weather conditions becoming more violent, the likelihood of harvests failing and disease spreading. Neira warns that ‘whether they like it or not – whether they know it or not – the negotiators at Cop are negotiating with our health’.
For more information, please visit: Politicians who delay climate action must live with consequences, says WHO expert. The Guardian, 4 November 2023. Available online at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/04/politicians-who-delay-climate-action-must-live-with-consequences-says-who-expert#:~:text=Speaking%20to%20the%20Guardian%20on,first%20time%20in%20its%20history (last accessed 8 November 2023).