29 Apr 2008

The Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) today welcomed the publication of the 2008 Slán Report emphasising that accurate health information is essential for effective decision-making.

Owen Metcalfe, Associate Director said that “historically there has been a data deficit of information on what people actually do in many health and lifestyle related areas but the Slán Survey constitutes a massive step in overcoming this deficit”.

“These latest Slán figures highlight that much greater action is needed to tackle the factors that put many people at risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Action in the health sector alone is not sufficient. The alarming statistics revealed in this report point to an urgent need for a broader response. Government, public and private sector organisations, and civil society are all key players and communities themselves need the resources and opportunities to support the most vulnerable.”

Mr Metcalfe continued:

“Action is needed. IPH urges:

• A concerted multi-sectoral cross government effort to bring about change with assigned responsibility, accountability and transparency at senior government level to take this agenda forward.
• Renewed efforts in the areas of disease prevention and health promotion with the development and implementation of appropriate strategies.
• Cross border and international cooperation to deal with these modern day burdens of chronic disease.

The issues highlighted today are not unique to Ireland but are international in nature. Responding to the global challenge of unhealthy lifestyles needs more than campaigns and advertising, it needs serious critiques and shifts in policy.”

Concluding he added:  

“All policy sectors must acknowledge their responsibility for health and use mechanisms such as Health Impact Assessment to support them in the process of developing and implementing healthier public policy. IPH has produced documents on transport, employment and the built environment to support policy-makers in making better decisions for better health.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. The Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) was set up to seek practical advantages from building cooperation for public health between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.  We work in four areas: policy advice, information, research and capacity building and our objective is to tackle inequalities in health and improve the health of the public.
2. What is Health Impact Assessment?
   Health Impact Assessment or HIA, is a combination of procedures, methods and tools by which a policy, programme or project may be judged as to its potential effects on the health of a population and the distribution of those effects within the population.

The procedures, methods and tools that are used in HIA include policy analysis, demography, collation and analysis of evidence of health impacts, quantitative and qualitative research and community consultation. HIA draws these elements together to enable a systematic identification of health impacts.

The purpose of HIA is to influence decision-making in favour of health. By completing a HIA, decision-makers should have evidence-based recommendations to maximise the positive and minimise the negative health impacts of proposals.  

The IPH suite of documents on HIA reviews are available on our website, www.publichealth.ie and these include:

• Health Impacts of Employment: a review,
• Health Impacts of Transport: a review
• Health Impacts of the Built Environment: a review

Further Information

Ronan Cavanagh, Montague Communications: (01) 830 3116 or (086) 317 9731

Arlene McKay, Communications Officer, Institute of Public Health in Ireland: +44 (0)28 90648494