Public Health’s Annual Report is now live
The final in a trilogy of reports detailing Liverpool’s Covid-19 journey has officially launched.
This year’s PHAR not only reflects on the achievements made in the last 12 months – but remains a key tool in planning how health inequalities will be addressed, and health improvements made in the city.
Although the Covid-19 pandemic shone a light on the work of Directors of Public Health and their teams like never before – Public Health annual reports aren’t a new thing.
Dr Duncan’s trailblazing role as the first Medical Officer for Health in England (which forms the origin for today’s Directors of Public Health) was created in Liverpool in 1847.
His first report, written over 150 years ago reflects on the challenges of the day and how his team were instrumental in making health improvements by tackling poor sanitation, overcrowded dwellings and responding to a cholera outbreak.
The 2022 PHAR was officially launched at the recent Liverpool Health and Wellbeing event – where city-wide health and wellbeing organisations, charities and partners were on hand to answer questions, provide demonstrations, make referrals to services, and showcase the support on offer for local people.
The event also enabled stakeholders to come together, to listen and learn from each other – and ultimately improve services for local people.
Director of Public Health for Liverpool, Professor Matthew Ashton said: “2022 was another incredibly busy year for the Public Health team, as we turned our focus from Covid response to Covid recovery.
Every year since 1847, a report has been written detailing Liverpool’s proud history of bold and innovative public health interventions, and I am really proud of the work we continue to do in Liverpool to protect lives and to improve health and wellbeing for our fantastic citizens and communities.
Last year saw Liverpool’s ground-breaking work recognised again, when I was able to accept a national impact award from the Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty on behalf of the city for our response to the pandemic.
I hope people enjoy reading our report – all of which is underpinned by how we have needed to learn to live with Covid safely and fairly”
You can read this year’s report at phar.liverpool.gov.uk – which has been written and designed with a real focus on accessibility.
Overview of the Report
The Covid-19 pandemic not only worsened existing health issues – but created new ones, resulting in poorer health outcomes for residents.
Key activity to address these challenges has included:
- Re-starting intervention programmes like the NHS Health checks and routine cancer screening and blood pressure checks to support early diagnosis and treatment.
- Evidence-based interventions across generations that focus on improving local mental wellbeing and tackling low level mental health needs, self-harm/suicide risks and building resilience in our community.
- Establishing a Marmot group across the city – with the shared aim of achieving Marmot Community Status, and more importantly creating a healthier, happier, fairer Liverpool for all.
- A prevention-focused and behaviour change programme in relation to sexual health and HIV. This has seen Liverpool exceed ‘triple 95 targets’ relating to testing, treatment and undetectable viral load – getting us a step closer to eradicating the virus.
- The innovative and targeted ADDER programme is now in its second year – focussing on reducing drug-related offending, drug deaths and prevalence of drug use.