More focus on prevention and public health is needed to improve
people's long-term health in Wales.
Mental Health Minister will call on healthcare
professionals to become “champions of prevention” to support
people to make healthier choices and to address the underlying
causes of obesity and continue to cut smoking rates in Wales.
Speaking at the Welsh Public Health Conference, in Cardiff, she
will highlight the impact of preventable illnesses on people's
lives; on the NHS and the economy.
For example, obesity-related illness costs the NHS £365m ever
year in Wales and a quarter of adults live with obesity.
Smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable death,
with around 3,845 deaths and 17,000 hospital admissions every
year.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Minister
said: “Whilst there
is a place for weight loss jabs for some people as part of their
weight management, they are not the solution for everyone.
“We must intervene earlier to address the underlying causes. That
is why our focus is on a whole system approach to address
obesity's complex roots.”
The Welsh Government has introduced a series of preventative
public health measures to support people's health and wellbeing,
including:
- New laws which will restrict volume price promotions of less
healthy foods and keep them from key selling locations, which
will come into force in 2026.
- Healthy Eating in Schools regulations, which will maximise
the impact of universal free school meals and improve access to
healthier food during school hours to help young people make
better food choices.
- Health Impact Assessments, which require certain public
bodies to show how they are delivering their well-being duty,
particularly in relation to the goals of a healthier and a more
equal Wales.
- Wales will become a Marmot Nation, to help tackle health
inequalities.
- A new national, targeted lung cancer screening programme,
which will start in 2027.
Minister added: “Transforming
health outcomes for the people of Wales cannot be achieved by
government alone. We need people to become champions of
prevention in everything they do.
“Prevention has the power to radically improve both public health
and the economy.
“Every pound invested in early intervention can yield returns of
up to £13 in reduced later costs.
“Together, we are building a Wales where everyone can thrive,
where prevention is woven into every policy decision we make. The
future of Welsh health depends on the actions we take today.”
