In May this year, almost 500 public health professionals came together to share best practice and discuss key actions to address the impact of poverty on the health of communities across the UK.

Attendees at the session identified three major steps which we as professionals can take to tackle the health impacts of poverty. We are committing to taking these steps wherever it is practical.

1. Treat poverty as a major determinant of poor health

As public health professionals we understand the importance of inequalities in informing priorities and interventions, targeting our programmes of work to protect and improve the health of those who are most at-risk.

We will continue to treat poverty as a major determinant of health, engage with communities experiencing poverty to co-create solutions, and deliver work to meet the needs of populations facing poverty. This can mean directly considering income levels, or looking more closely at secondary indicators such as property overcrowding or malnutrition, as well as advocating for systems change.

2. Raise awareness of the impact of poverty on health outcomes

Poverty is a major cause of poor health at all ages. People living in the least deprived parts of the country can expect to live almost a decade longer - and 20 years longer in good health - than those in the most deprived areas. Despite this, poverty is rarely discussed in public discourse as a driver of health problems

As public health professionals, we have a duty to use our position to raise awareness of the issues which are damaging the health of the public. As such, we will use every opportunity available to stress the importance of reducing poverty in driving good health outcomes, reducing strain on the NHS, and bolstering economic productivity.

3. Support colleagues to enforce housing quality standards

Around 1 in 7 households in the UK today live in conditions which the Government defines as ‘non-decent’. This can mean they contain hazards which pose a demonstrable risk to health or life such as damp, mould, or serious overcrowding. Additionally, more than 100,000 households live in temporary accommodation, where issues of housing quality are compounded by insecurity, lack of space, and lack of privacy.

As public health professionals, we know the impact that these conditions can have on health outcomes and should be central to enforcing adequate standards where that is within the power of local authorities. We will actively engage with colleagues in local government working on housing conditions to ensure that they fully understand the health implications of poor housing conditions, as well as sharing best practice across the sector to address these.

By taking these steps, we are able to make a material difference to the role that public health plays in tackling poverty, and we call on government at all levels to support us by taking the bold action needed to bring down poverty rates and improve health outcomes.