Minister unveils 10-year plan to improve our health

The Minister for Health Bairbre de Brún has launched a new vision to improve the health and well being of Northern Ireland’s population.

The ‘Investing for Health’ 10-year strategy was launched by the minister at Springvale Training Ltd in Belfast on Wednesday March 27 and is the result of a major cross-departmental collaboration.

The minister explained that she believed the strategy provided a real opportunity to improve the health of all and particularly the most disadvantaged that suffer the worst health.

“Until now, health policy has tended to concentrate on the treatment of ill health,” Ms de Brún said.

“This strategy aims to turn this situation around by focussing on the prevention of ill health. It seeks to tackle the factors which cause poor health within our social, economic, physical and cultural environment – for example, ensuring we can live in a safe and healthy environment with a good standard of housing, having educational opportunities and the opportunity to gain the skills to work. It’s also about enjoying self-esteem and having the support of strong local communities and being able to make healthy choices about how we live.”

The strategy contains a common set of improvements for Departments, the statutory, voluntary and community sectors to work towards. It contains two goals and seven objectives, which have been selected to reflect the crosscutting nature of 'Investing for Health' and outlines the specific actions Government Departments will take to contribute to the achievement of the strategy.

Mr Denis Haughey Junior Minister in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister said: “The Executive’s Programme for Government recognises that poverty has, for too long, blighted the lives of individuals and whole communities. It points up the link between poverty and poorer health; lower life expectancy; poorer educational attainment; and greater difficulty getting jobs and accessing services. It also commits us, as an Administration, to taking action to tackle social need and social exclusion.

“The development of ‘Investing for Health’ demonstrates this commitment. Within the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, we are committed to playing our part in the development of the strategy. It is important therefore that we all work together to ensure an effective investment in health and to reap the rewards from this investment.” (AMcE)