In 2023, Public Health Wales updated its 2017 International Health Strategy to better reflect the significant changes in the global landscape and to enable Public Health Wales’ new Long-Term Strategy. A wide consultation process, supported by a literature review and mapping of international work and collaborations across the organisation, has enabled us to identify our aims and activities for the next ten years.
Our international health vision is to be a globally connected and inspiring national public health organisation, working towards a healthier and fairer Wales to address worldwide challenges and shared goals.
The global political, social, and environmental context has dramatically changed since the original International Health Strategy in 2017 with UK’s withdrawal from the EU (‘Brexit’), the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis and increasing instances of extreme weather events due to climate change.
Many beneficial examples of international health collaboration have taken place since 2017 and this Strategy aims to build on these and enable the delivery of the Long-Term Strategy through its implementation. International health working can range from research partnerships, sharing of mutual knowledge via digital meetings to joint training and collaboration on projects and other activities.
This learning can then be implemented in Wales to improve population health and well-being and reduce inequalities. It can support us to be a globally connected national public health agency, using innovative approaches and our international expertise, helping to prevent disease, promote and protect health, provide system leadership, and specialist services. This strategy shows how we will work with partners such as public health institutes, Welsh Government and others to enable international health activity and partnership working.
The Public Health Wales International Health Strategy is available here