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Collaboration for health equity in Scotland

Public Health Scotland (PHS) has joined with the University College London’s Institute of Health Equity (IHE) for a two-year Collaboration for Health Equity in Scotland (CHES).  Working with Professor Sir Michael Marmot, the director of the Institute, this collaboration will strengthen and accelerate the action underway to improve Scotland's health, increase wellbeing and reduce health inequities.

The partnership between PHS and IHE is to support public service reform and will cover two key areas:

  • Work at a national level, providing new insights into the most effective ways to progress with health equity in Scotland through Marmot's eight principles; and
  • Work in partnership with Local Authority and NHS boards across Aberdeen City, North Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire to develop and implement strategies to enhance health equity.

These two strands of work aim to enable CHES to answer:

  • What are the most impactful areas for intervention to make meaningful progress in closing inequities in healthy life expectancy in Scotland? and
  • How can national and local organisations work more effectively to close the gap between policy intent and impact in these areas?

What is the aim of the project?

IHE highlight that reducing health inequity requires action on eight key objectives.  These are referred to as the Marmot 8.  They are to:  

  • Tackle discrimination and racism, and their outcomes; 
  • Give every child the best start in life;   
  • Enable all children, young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and control their lives; 
  • Create fair employment and good work for all;  
  • Pursue environmental sustainability and health equity together;  
  • Ensure a healthy standard of living for all;  
  • Create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities; and  
  • Strengthen the role and impact of ill health prevention. 

To find out more about this project please view the following link: Collaboration for health equity in Scotland - Public Health Scotland