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Archive for the ‘General Election’ Category

Embedding sustainability as a public health priority

Posted in Climate change, General Election, sustainable development, tagged , , , , on June 7, 2017| Leave a Comment »

By FPH’s Sustainable Development Special Interest Group

There are many good reasons to prioritise sustainability for the health of future generations. Protection of key planetary boundaries such as climate change, air quality, ocean alkalinity and land forestation are crucial to whether our children and grandchildren can survive and have a tolerable quality of life.

However, this can be a hard sell to those making key political and economic decisions internationally, for electorates, consumers and shareholders who have come to accept excessive consumption and unequal concentration of wealth.

Therefore, we need to emphasise the benefits of sustainability to those alive today. Fortunately, these benefits are many both to individuals and to communities. Unfortunately, these benefits are rarely discussed in political and economic discourse.

Let’s start with the benefits of sustainable nutrition. These were well summarised by Barak Obama at a recent Global Food Innovation Summit (and a Guardian article on 27 May 2017). More sustainable food means more locally sourced fruit and vegetables and less processed food and meat from ruminant animals. Not only will this reduce greenhouse gases (especially methane) and protect forests but it will also mean more food security for poorer nations and less chronic disease for those in richer countries.

Another win-win opportunity is in sustainable travel. This means more walking and cycling but also better public transport (which always involves a contribution from walking or cycling). This reduces carbon emissions, improves air quality in urban areas and improves health and wellbeing in travellers (see, for example, the PHE and LGA Report ‘Obesity and the physical environment; increasing physical activity’ in November 2013 and PHE’s ‘Working together to promote active travel’ in May 2016).

There are many other direct benefits to public health from energy efficiency, urban green space and reducing waste. Public Health professionals need to publicise this evidence and advocate for action on sustainability at local, national and international levels. This is not just good for the planet but good for the health of the public and the effects will be immediate.

 

Learn more about the work FPH is doing on behalf of our membership on the General Election.

 

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Update on our General Election campaign and how you can help

Posted in Brexit, General Election, Uncategorized, tagged , , on June 1, 2017| Leave a Comment »

By Professor Simon Capewell, FPH Vice President of Policy 

Next week, voters across the country will head to the polls to determine the make-up of the next Government. The outcome may be uncertain, but this much is clear: we cannot allow the public’s health to be side-lined over the course of the next Parliament. At FPH, we are committed to ensuring that policy-makers embed health in all policies. Following the announcement of the snap-election, we therefore rapidly produced our short-list of priorities for the next Government. They are:

1) Realising Brexit’s ‘health dividend’
2) Shoring up and increasing public health funding
3) Making sure the specialist public health workforce is adequately staffed and supported

We’re doing all we can nationally to advocate for these issues. But we cannot do it alone.  We need your help to deliver our message to your local parliamentary candidates and get them to commit to our asks. As an FPH member, you are well-placed to do this because Parliamentary candidates are much more likely to listen to the concerns of their constituents- especially when those concerns are presented against the backdrop of local data or case-studies- than they are to national organisations with no concrete links to their community.

Over the next week or so, candidates will be in a mad dash to meet as many of their constituents as they can. What they hear on your doorstep or at a hustings in your community may follow them into the House of Commons. To help you get started, we produced this brief one page guide outlining how you can campaign on behalf of FPH. It includes sample questions to ask, opportunities to take advantage of, and tips for building relationships with your candidates.

Make sure you also visit our General Election webpage to access allStart Well, Live Better front cover of our resources (including our Start Well, Live Better manifesto) to help you campaign and to see the election ‘asks’ from our allied organisations and partners.

Finally, we want to hear from you! Your feedback is invaluable to us. If you do speak to any of your candidates, we would love to hear how it went. Or, if you need help in reaching out to them, please feel free to email FPH’s policy team (policy@fph.org.uk) for some advice and guidance. We want to help as many members as possible build and maintain relationships with their candidates, both in the run up to election and, crucially, with the next government. Thank you for your continued support.

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FPH’s Annual Conference ‘Film Festival’ and the General Election

Posted in film, FPH Annual Conference, General Election, Health Inequalities, SIG, Uncategorized on May 9, 2017| Leave a Comment »

By Dr Uy Hoang, Chair of the FPH Film Special Interest Group

Following the announcement of a General Election, FPH called for the next Government to think more about our long term health, embed health in all policies, and work with people and communities to focus on preventing ill health and easing pressure on our overburdened NHS.

At FPH’s Annual Conference in Telford (20-21 June), FPH’s Film Special Interest Group (SIG) will bring together public health specialists, academics, and film makers to discuss the role that film can play in helping policy makers locally and nationally perform the type of joined-up thinking that health in all policies demands. We’d love for you to join us in Telford as we screen critically acclaimed films, hear from expert panels of film makers and public health professionals, and open to the floor for wider discussion and debate.

Headlining the FPH Annual Conference will be a screening of I, Daniel Blake, the winner of the 2016 Palme d’Or Cannes award and the latest film from legendary director Ken Loach. The film highlights many issues that are in the fore of this election campaign, including how to best support people with complex health and social needs.

With Brexit and the impact of economic migration likely to dominate this election cycle, we will use film to shine a light on a less discussed aspect of the movement of people- human trafficking- to ensure that that story is not missing from the dominant narrative surrounding immigration. We will screen the award winning film Slaved, followed by a debate with representatives from the police force, public health, and NGOs working within the field. The film brings to life the personal stories behind the public health statistics, shows what our public health workforce is contributing now to tackle these issues, and demonstrates how relevant a public health perspective will be to the next Government as it grapples with these complex problems.

Those of you interested in prevention will find the screening of Up for Air particularly engaging. This award winning documentary follows Jerry Cahill, a 60-year old pole-vaulting coach battling cystic fibrosis. Due to his vigorous exercise regime, Jerry is now 20 years past his expected life expectancy and is one of the oldest living patients with the genetic disease. This film is a powerful and stark example of the benefits of exercise, especially for those living with a chronic disease.

The Global Violence Prevention SIG will highlight the work of public health practitioners, especially women on the front lines of care delivery, with a screening of the film Grace Under Fire. The film follows the story of Dr Grace Kodindo, a leading reproductive health advocate and champion of women’s rights, as she works to expose the horrific toll of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and rebuild health services for women and children.

As you can see we have a full and compelling programme. We hope you will join us for our ‘film festival’ and contribute to the debate.

For details of the conference and to register please visit http://www.fph.org.uk/fph_annual_conference_and_public_health_expo_2017

For FPH’s election briefing please click here

If you are interested in joining the FPH PH SIG or have any suggestions for films that we could screen, please contact Policy@fph.org.uk

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