More focus on prevention and public health is needed to improve people’s long-term health in Wales.
Mental Health Minister Sarah Murphy 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 Sarah Murphy 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 Sarah Murphy 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.”
