Policy: Overview
Wales is a small nation, yet it has a proud history of being outward and forward-looking, and committed to achieving sustainable development and prosperity for all within and beyond Welsh borders. The ground-breaking Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, implemented in synergy with a number of modern Welsh laws, positions Wales at the forefront of the sustainability agenda and enables transformative cross-sector work that benefits the people, the economy and the planet. It places an explicit commitment on public bodies towards achieving a healthier and more equal Wales. More recently, the Socio-economic Duty 2020 cements a commitment to safeguarding equality and human rights, and places tackling inequality at the heart of decision-making.
The concept of Health in All Policies (HiAP) is increasingly accepted by governments and the scientific community as an important pre-condition for improved population health and an overall fairer and more cohesive society. HiAP entails working synergistically across sectors to take account of the health implications of decisions, aims to avoid health harm and rebalance social and health equity. To accelerate progress in reaching those being left behind because of poor health, and in preventing others from falling behind, policy action is required that reaches not only the most vulnerable but also those disproportionally at risk of avoidable poor health.
The WHESRi and the Solutions Platform can help bring health and equity in all policies in Wales and beyond, through informing and supporting policies, plans and investment prioritisation across different sectors and key stakeholders, in order to accelerate action and progress towards closing the health gap and achieving healthy prosperous lives for all in Wales and beyond.
The Five Essential Conditions
Many policies or legislation adopted in Wales help to reduce inequity and create a more sustainable and fairer Welsh society.
Stay up to date. The Welsh Health Equity Solutions Platform is continuously updated with the latest resources and materials, including data, policies, reports and case studies. Contact us to be notified of updates to the Solutions Platform.
Get in touch to get involved. We are working with stakeholders and users to update and expand the Solutions Platform with projects, case studies and spotlight features focused on health equity. Contact us to share your projects and success stories, to feature on the platform.