Tackling Poverty Action Plan

people have opportunities to have their views heard and to be involvedin decisions that affect their lives at the local level.Fairer Outcomes for All is the Welsh Government’s strategic actionplan for reducing inequities in health. In response to this, all LocalHealth Boards are required to identify, and take action to address,inequities within their areas. By 2020, we aim to improve healthy lifeexpectancy for everyone and to close the gaps in health inequitiesbetween social groups from the most to the least deprived.We will make extra effort to bring families into contact with GPs andextend GP hours linking them to a range of services. The process ofdeveloping ‘localities’ will strengthen the population focus of generalpractice, better interpreting the needs of those communities andmatching resources to need. A new annual reporting system will helpLocal Health Boards to identify and act upon variation in serviceprovision and performance.The Designed to Smile, service specifically targets inequalities in oralhealth. The scheme aims to prevent children’s teeth decaying andleading to dental loss and disfiguration that in adulthood can have adetrimental effect on employment prospects. The Welsh Governmentwill shortly be issuing for consultation our national oral health planwhich strengthens our practical actions to combat tooth decay.We will also use school nurses to reduce inequality in the uptake ofcertain sorts of immunisation by teenagers. We are taking action tomore rapidly reduce road traffic accident-related child death and injuryin lower socioeconomic groups. We also provide parents withresources through Flying Start to enable them to reduce accidents andinjuries in the home.Teenage pregnancy is often associated with poor health and socialoutcomes for both the mother and the child. Young mothers are morelikely to suffer postnatal depression and less likely to complete theireducation. Children born to teenage parents are less likely to bebreastfed, more likely to live in poverty and more likely to become ateenage parent themselves. Public Health Wales working with LocalHealth Boards are taking action to reduce teenage conception rates.This includes offering long acting removable contraception to specificteenagers.We will report on teenage conception rates, low birth weight and dentalcaries at age 5 and 12.Early support is important for individuals at all ages. Theimplementation of the Mental Health Measure will play a key role instrengthening services in the community and improving links withspecialist services. This will be particularly relevant in providing support7