💰Government must now match this ambition with sustained investment in local authorities...

🔥...and by acting on major sources of pollution, starting with its consultation on wood burning.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

5/5 🧵

If the government truly wants to go for growth, it must start by improving the conditions that allow people to live healthy lives.
www.bigissue.com/opinion/autu...

🧵4/5 Every year, air pollution contributes to up to 43,000 deaths in the UK and costs the economy £27 billion.

The Treasury could introduce tiered business rates relief to reward companies that measure and reduce harmful emissions.
urbanhealth.org.uk/our-work/hea...

3/5🧵Millions of children are growing up in poverty.

Abolishing the two-child limit on Universal Credit and tax credits would lift 350,000 children out of poverty. Costing £2bn per year, the return in health and productivity would far outweigh the cost. www.bigissue.com/opinion/autu...

2/5 🧵 Food-related ill health costs society equivalent to 1–2% of GDP a year.

We've seen great progress with Free School Meals. Govt should now introduce a levy to incentivise manufacturers to make a wider range of products healthier. www.recipeforchange.org.uk

🍉If we are serious about giving every child the best start in life, we must ensure that they can access healthy and nutritious food in every early years setting.

👏 Whilst we whole-heartedly welcome the expansion of free meals for school children in households receiving Universal Credit, the report reveals that too many families with young children who are furthest from health equity remain locked out of the support they need.

🆕 Alongside @foodfoundation.bsky.social, we've supported this new report from Bremner and Co, which exposes this gap.

🙏 A big thank you to everyone who attended, and helped make the day a success. I'm looking forward to seeing our partners again soon!

🏙️ Nearly 60 of our partners joined us to connect and discuss how we can improve health equity in Lambeth and Southwark, and beyond.

It was fantastic to hear so many rich conversations, learn from one another, and see new collaborations being built.

💚 Children’s health must be treated as a nation-building mission: safeguarded in budgets, given long-term accountability, and at the centre of national policy.

The evidence is clear: the mission can succeed, but only if prevention, equity, and children’s health are at its heart.

🏙️ To deliver on its health mission, the government itself needs to rewire. Health can’t just sit in DHSC: it must include communities, local government, civil society, and industry.

When people most affected are part of shaping solutions, those solutions stick.

To break the cycle, we must tackle the NHS crisis & invest in prevention.

IPPR research commissioned by @impurbanhealth.bsky.social suggests there are near-term benefits of prevention:
healthy eating➡️better school attendance
cleaner fair➡️fewer emergency admissions
safe housing➡️less pressure on NHS

We know there are stark health inequalities across the UK. Poor social conditions drive poor health, putting the NHS under strain:
🍔unhealthy food
🏠insecure incomes
🏚️bad housing
🌬️polluted air

This makes it even harder for government to act on the root causes.

🍇 This is an important step towards building a food system that prioritises access to healthy, affordable food for everyone.

All good health interventions start with a simple action: Listening!

Learn more about our work to amplify the voices of communities most affected by air pollution: urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/new...

Learn more about how @impurbanhealth.bsky.social support organisations disproportionately affected by air pollution: urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/new...