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MINISTER'S FOREWORD
As Minister for Health and Community Care, I am pleased to present to the First Minister this report on health improvement in Scotland which outlines our whole-government approach to health improvement and tracks progress across the Scottish Executive towards delivering a healthier Scotland.
When we first published our framework Improving Health in Scotland - The Challenge1 in March 2003 we acknowledged Scotland's poor health record and outlined the challenges facing the Scottish Executive, the Health Department, NHSScotland, a wide range of stakeholders - and indeed, the people of Scotland - in improving the health of our nation. The gap between the health and economic expectations of different elements of our society was apparent and, combined with greater levels of inactivity, the increased consumption of 'junk' food and an increasing burden of poor mental health, it was clear we faced a considerable task. This was a task which required not only action by government and its partners, but action by the people of Scotland. We aspired to a Scotland in which people would take greater responsibility for their own health, that of their families and those in their care, and in which people would increasingly be willing and able to make healthier choices.
At that time we had already started to make improvements with fewer premature deaths from heart disease and cancer, and overall life expectancy had risen. It was clear however that Scotland faced a tougher challenge to improve health than most other countries in the Western world. That challenge was to build on our successes to speed up the rate of improvement, and to narrow the opportunity gap in order to improve the health of our most disadvantaged people and communities.
In the last few years we have taken great strides and have done much to turn around Scotland's reputation for poor health - and this was echoed in the recent report from the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Harry Burns, in Health in Scotland 2005. 2 Scots are living longer with fewer people dying from the three big killers of cancer, heart disease and stroke - and now there are signs that Scots are responding to the need to improve their diet and take more physical activity. The ban on smoking in public places marked the single biggest advance in public health in a decade and there is now a real sense of optimism about the future and our ability to change our nation's health for the better. We have much to celebrate.
This report illustrates the range of health improvement activities led by the Executive within the health improvement policy framework. It highlights our successes and achievements and focuses on some of the major initiatives and programmes that are making a real difference to the lives of the people of Scotland.
It is an approach that acknowledges that the health of our nation is not the sole preserve of health professionals and agencies but rather it involves a whole-government approach where health improvement needs to be considered and reflected in all policies and where all policies support health improvement. A healthy Scottish population is key for achieving economic growth, boosting educational achievement, tackling inequalities and securing a sustainable future.
Our approach has attracted the endorsement of the World Health Organisation ( WHO). Dr Erio Ziglio, Head of the WHO's European Office for Investment for Health and Development, believes other countries could learn from Scotland's lead in health improvement and fighting health inequalities:
"Scotland has considerable health challenges, but I believe the way the Scottish Executive and NHSScotland have been tackling them over recent years provides a good example to other small countries - in Europe and worldwide."
We will never be complacent however, and we recognise the need to continue to strive for a healthier Scotland. The long-term nature of health improvement means that the benefits of what we are doing now will take time to be fully realised. The work we are involved in with our partners in local government, the voluntary and private sectors, and the leadership we are demonstrating, will have far-reaching implications for the health of future generations. We will continue to put health improvement at the heart of our policy-making and will continue to work with our partners to help to create the conditions in which people can make healthier choices for themselves and their families and lead healthier and more productive lives.
Andy Kerr
Minister for Health and Community Care
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