http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=165009144&p=y65xx985x
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Bid to tackle health inequalities
06/12/2005 - 13:37:31

Meaningful targets for reducing inequalities in healthcare [sic] must be
set to prevent people in poverty becoming ill more often and dying early, a
conference heard today.

The Combat Poverty Agency meeting, part of the consultation process on the
next National Action Plan against Poverty and Social Exclusion, was
discussing the setting, implementing and monitoring of goals to tackle
health inequalities in Ireland.

It is the first of five “Poverty is Bad for Your Health” seminars, which
aim to address the problems of ill health and premature death experienced
by people in poverty.

The State agency’s director Helen Johnston said a study by Combat Poverty
showed more than two thirds of the families interviewed about what living
in poverty was like had health problems.

“People affected by ill-health were more likely to live on a low income
because they were unable to gain employment or their employment experience
was sporadic due to ill-health.

“The state of people’s physical health was connected to their generally
poor quality of life.

“For many, stress, isolation and depression were induced by lack of money
and an inadequate income made a healthy diet difficult,” she said.

“It is vital that the policy choices we make have a positive impact on the
health outcomes of people in poverty, and the targets and related
indicators we set are appropriate and meaningful.”

The meeting at Croke Park, Dublin, looked at the success of, and challenges
presented by, Government targets set in 2002 and what lessons could be
learnt for the new series of goals.

Addressing the conference, Minister for State at the Department of Health
Brian Lenihan said some of the key targets, such as reducing the difference
between socio-economic groups for low birth weight rates and for cancer
mortality, were not easily achieved in the short term, but were important
areas to focus on.

“Whatever targets are chosen for the next Action Plan, I think a key issue
will be the degree to which people experiencing poverty and social
exclusion have equity of access to, and benefit from, the health services,”
the Minister said.

“One of the challenges facing all of us who have an interest in reducing
health inequalities and poverty is the need to take into account the broad
social determinants of health.

“While access to quality health services has an important role to play in
improving health in our population and in reducing health inequalities, the
health system on its own cannot do this.

“Income, employment, education, housing, transport, physical environment,
safe and socially supportive communities and an environment that supports
healthy lifestyle choices are also important ingredients,” he said.

Mr Lenihan told the conference it was important to work across sectors on a
national and local level to co-ordinate efforts to meet targets on reducing
health inequalities, and said the voluntary and community sector had an
important role to play.

And he said he hoped new strategies would improve data collection which
would allow for more effective monitoring of targets which were set.