Integration with the Health Improvement Challenge
A wider framework
for action to improving the health of the people of
Scotland is laid out in
'Improving Health in Scotland - the Challenge'
(2003) . Commonly referred to as
'the Challenge', this includes work on all the
determinants of health. A step-change in health improvement
- by both society and individuals - is sought by setting
out a strategic framework to support the delivery of a more
rapid rate of health improvement.
The
'Challenge' focuses actions around four themes:
early years; teenage transition; the workplace; and
communities, and seven special focus programmes:
healthy eating; physical activity,
smoking; alcohol; mental health and well-being; health and
homelessness; and sexual health.
Tackling health inequalities is an overarching policy
direction within the '
Challenge' and '
Towards a Healthier Scotland' and work is in
progress to develop and sharpen our focus on inequalities
and to move towards an action plan which can be endorsed by
all partners.
Three key actions
have been identified to promote healthy eating as part of
'the Challenge':
1. Implement the next phase of the
Scottish Diet Action Plan to the extent
that it has a measurable and incremental impact in Scotland
each year to 2010.
2. Support the integrated programme,
launched January 2003, of communication and public
education, in the context of the wider health improvement
agenda, to increase demand for, confidence in and skills
for healthy eating.
3. Measure food consumption between 2003
and 2010 to monitor progress towards the
targets set out in the Scottish Diet
Action Plan using the Scottish Health Survey.
Useful Links
External Links