Tackling Health Inequalities

The health gap

Professor Clare Bambra, Professor of Public Health, is one of the leading academics in the UK focused on understanding and reducing health inequalities.

She has published several major reports into these issues, most recently to explore the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on worsening health outcomes in the most marginalised and disadvantaged communities, including in the North of England. Clare is a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator, and regularly has leadership roles in research collaborations. 

Widening inequality in health

During the first year of the pandemic, Covid-19 had a disproportionate impact on the North. Among the published findings, figures showed:

• Northerners were more likely to die from Covid-19
• long-term health conditions were higher for people living in deprived areas
• long-term health conditions were higher for people from certain minority ethnic groups
• those in the North are also experiencing a larger drop in mental wellbeing

Barriers to growth

Research suggests these inequalities cost the British economy £7.3 billion in lost productivity. Health inequalities remain a huge barrier to economic growth. Up to 30% of the regional productivity gap is due to higher rates of poor health in the North.

The Levelling Up agenda is now an opportunity to improve these outcomes. Reducing the health gap is now, more than ever, of crucial importance. Professor Bambra encourages the publication of the Health Disparities White Paper without delay.

Levelling Up health

Professor Bambra has developed a five-point framework to address health inequalities.

Her framework provides practical, evidence-based policy recommendations:

• making interventions healthy by default and easy to use
• focusing on long-term solutions working across many sectors
• tailoring initiatives at a local level
• targeting disadvantaged communities
• allocating resources according to need