The International Horizon Scanning and Learning reports were initiated as part of the COVID-19 public health response, to support dynamic response and recovery measures and planning in Wales. In spring 2022, the scope of the reports was expanded to cover priority public health topics, including in the areas of health improvement and promotion, health protection, and health care public health.
In focus: Fiscal Levers to Address Obesity.
Authors: Keira Charteris, Ilona Johnson+ 8 more
, Mariana Dyakova, Zuwaira Hashim, Morgan Savoury, Anna Howells, Josh Levett, Leonor Gonzalez de Mendoza Cremades, Sumina Azam, Emily Finney
The International Health Coordination Centre’s (IHCC) International Health Newsletter promotes and shares international news, events and initiatives with partners across Wales and beyond.
The newsletter was piloted in May 2023, thereon issued quarterly.
‘The Country deep dive on the well-being economy: Wales’ is part of a series of country deep dives published under the WHO European Well-being Economy Initiative led by the WHO European Office for Investment and Development. Each publication in the series is developed by combining academic and grey literature with narratives from semi structured interviews conducted with key stakeholders in government and public health institutions, with the aim to demonstrate concrete country experiences in advancing and implementing well-being economies.
This deep dive focuses on the Welsh approach. It gives context for Wales’s commitment to the well-being economy agenda, and identifies key concepts and strategies, governance structures and mechanisms, the role of (public) health, and approaches to measuring and monitoring progress. It highlights both the drivers and barriers Wales has encountered on the path towards a well-being economy. While Wales’s experience is not representative or all-encompassing, countries that are considering or in the process of shifting to a well-being economy can look at these key findings and take-home policy messages for inspiration.
The International Health Coordination Centre’s (IHCC) International Health Newsletter promotes and shares international news, events and initiatives with partners across Wales and beyond.
The newsletter was piloted in May 2023, thereon issued quarterly.
Like many areas across the UK, Coventry faces health inequalities, particularly among its most vulnerable communities. However, there has been notable progress. In this blog, we highlight the impactful work Coventry City Council has undertaken so far. A key initiative is the city’s Job Shop, which operates a Hub and Spoke model, offering personalised support in community locations to empower residents.This blog also explores how the Marmot Cities approach is making a difference and shares valuable lessons learned along the way.
Working towards health equity is a challenging but crucial task. Public Health Wales is seeking to support you in this work, whatever your role, by compiling a range of national and international tools that have been developed to guide this work in different contexts.
Public Health Wales has published an overview of 22 health equity frameworks and tools to support governments, organisations, and individuals to work towards health equity. Frameworks and tools were identified through searches of key international and national resources.
Authors: Jo Peden, Rhiannon Griffiths+ 3 more
, Sara Southall, Rebecca Hill, Lauren Couzens (née Ellis)
The International Horizon Scanning and Learning reports were initiated as part of the COVID-19 public health response, to support dynamic response and recovery measures and planning in Wales. In spring 2022, the scope of the reports was expanded to cover priority public health topics, including in the areas of health improvement and promotion, health protection, and health care public health.
In focus: The Commercial Determinants of Health: Children and Young People
This summary calendar, the fourth to be published, presents a short and interactive overview of the five International Horizon Scanning Reports from 2023-2024, with themes including:
• Universal primary free school meals
• Mental health and well-being of refugees and asylum-seekers
• Five essential conditions for health equity
• Embedding prevention in primary and community care
• Impact of poverty on babies, children and young people
A toolkit is available to staff whose work involves international health and working with global stakeholders. The implementation toolkit helps staff in Health Boards and NHS Trusts translate the Charter for International Health Partnerships in Wales into operational practices.
Despite advancements in societal acceptance and legal rights, LGBTQIA+ individuals continue to face significant disparities in mental health, sexual health, and healthcare access. Health inequalities among the LGBTQIA+ communities in Wales present a pressing challenge.
This blog describes the challenges experienced by the LGBTQIA+ communities in Wales regarding health and social care. It features strategic policies that are making difference, ensuring fair health access for all. The blog also highlights transformative efforts that are not only reshaping public health but also setting precedents for inclusivity across the nation.
The International Health Coordination Centre’s (IHCC) International Health Newsletter promotes and shares international news, events and initiatives with partners across Wales and beyond.
The newsletter was piloted in May 2023, thereon issued quarterly.
The Welsh Health Equity Status Report initiative (WHESRi) has published a spotlight feature blog to commemorate International Women’s Day. This spotlight feature focuses on gender equity in Wales, emphasizing the social and economic determinants impacting women’s well-being. It highlights persistent gender inequalities across various spheres, including health, employment, and violence, exacerbated by factors like race, disability, and economic status. To address Addressing these challenges requires gender-responsive policies, gender-inclusive budgeting, and an Economy of Well-being framework to promote positive outcomes and empower women towards a healthier and more prosperous future in Wales.
The International Horizon Scanning and Learning reports were initiated as part of the COVID-19 public health response, to support dynamic response and recovery measures and planning in Wales. In spring 2022, the scope of the reports was expanded to cover priority public health topics, including in the areas of health improvement and promotion, health protection, and health care public health.
In focus: Impact of Poverty on Babies, Children and Young People
Authors: Leah Silva, Lauren Couzens (née Ellis)+ 6 more
The Welsh Health Equity Status Report initiative (WHESRi) has updated a spotlight feature blog on the innovative decomposition analysis methodology. This now includes the addition on a summary report on a multi-country webinar, with insights from Wales, Italy and Slovenia. The webinar was a solutions-focused session which explored how the application of the decomposition analysis methodology has generated insights into the drivers of health inequalities.
A key finding of the webinar was the need to strengthen the case for investing in well-being and health equity in Wales and beyond through policies and solution-based actions that were identified throughout the webinar.
Authors: Lauren Couzens (née Ellis), Sara Cooklin-Urbano+ 2 more
Scarcity of resources for public health and mounting pressures on health systems such as the Covid-19 pandemic, make it vital to evaluate public health interventions and move away from traditional evaluation methods. This is important to understand not just the financial value of public health interventions, but also the wider social, environmental and economic value. This review aims to present the existing evidence base on the Social Return on Investment of physical activity and nutrition interventions, demonstrating the wider social and environmental benefits of these interventions.
