Priorities to Reduce Health Inequalities

The Annual Public Health Report of the Director of Public Health 2014-15 continues to identify evidence based priorities to reduce health inequality. For 2015/16 these are set out in the box below:

  1. Continuing to reduce health inequality across Devon, ensuring that the needs of our most vulnerable or unhealthy populations are being met, and that health care commissioners are able to evidence this.
  2. Improving levels of physical activity and the proportion of people at a healthy weight, and promoting the Mediterranean diet to improve health.
  3. Reducing excessive, harmful alcohol consumption.
  4. Reducing the proportion of people in Devon who still smoke and preventing young people from starting smoking.
  5. Ensuring all children have the best possible start in life.
  6. Improving mental health and emotional wellbeing, particularly in children and young people.
  7. Working to prevent domestic and sexual violence and abuse, and the sexual exploitation of children and young people.
  8. Detecting and preventing the onset of chronic (long term) health conditions.
  9. Increasing the early detection and improving the treatment of cancer.
  10. Increasing social connectivity in communities to reduce social isolation and loneliness, and increasing the opportunities we have to improve our own health and wellbeing