Your Health is Your Wealth – Public Health Policy Framework 2012-2020

Abstract

What would you like the public health policy to achieve? To set out strategic actions which will contribute to tangible improvements in topline population health outcomes – healthier people, healthier lives and improved life expectancy. To generate a stronger profile and focus on public health within government policy and the Programme for Government. To facilitate greater cooperation and coordination between the broad range of agencies and departments with a role to play in creating a healthier society, including those sectors outside the health sector. To set out a clear population health response to population ageing. To set targets and actions to support existing strategies and approaches addressing key population health priorities including obesity, tobacco, alcohol, chronic illness and child health outcomes. To adopt a social determinants approach to improving population health. To make tackling health inequalities a priority and set out a clear strategic approach to systematically address health inequalities in population health priorities. To clarify public health’s role in dealing with emergencies such as communicable disease epidemics, natural disasters and severe weather events. To set out the workforce and higher education requirements of the public health workforce in respect of the above.