Putting in place effective programmes to prevent poor health offers great value for money. Prevention initiatives such as early years education, vaccination programmes, smoking cessation and support for carers can deliver excellent value for money – with an average return of £14 for every £1 invested in them. They also keep people healthier and address inequalities as well.

That’s according to a new report from Public Health Wales, which says it’s more important than ever to prioritise public funding into prevention measures. It could help to reverse the decline in the nation’s health, address the root causes of inequalities and enable the people of Wales to live longer, healthier and happier lives.

Public Health Wales says that the cost of health inequalities to acute NHS services in Wales is a massive £322 million per year. Health inequalities occur when people’s health outcomes are different due to things like where they live, income, or ethnic group.  This results in people in the poorest areas of Wales living on average 17 less healthy years of life compared to people in the wealthiest places.  In addition, the data reveals other alarming statistics around health inequalities: 

• In 2022-2023, around a quarter (24.8 per cent) of children aged 4-5 years in Wales were overweight or obese. Children living in the most affluent areas in Wales are more likely to have a healthy weight. 
• People living in the most deprived communities are nearly four times more likely to die from avoidable causes (3.7 times for males and 3.8 times for females).