Health Is Our Wealth: Why Ireland Should Prioritise Citizens' Wellbeing

Ireland can create a prosperous and sustainable economy for future generations by investing in the health of all people, a leading professor has said.

Professor Martin McKee said that healthier populations are more resilient to threats, achieve better educational outcomes, drive economic growth and create more cohesive societies.

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He added that all this in turn contributes to improved health, creating a virtuous circle that will benefit Ireland in the future.

McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, made the announcement in a speech at a special event to mark the 25th anniversary of the Institute of Public Health (IPH) in Dublin yesterday.

In his keynote: Should governments make us healthier? Refocus government policy so that every government department looks at all policies through a health lens and commits to investing in healthier and more resilient communities (Professor McKee advocated health for all policies).

He argued that investments in health care could achieve other policy goals, pointing to increased productivity, a more secure labor market, and improved educational outcomes as examples of potential social and economic benefits.

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Professor McKee said all government departments had a role to play in healthcare.

He said: “We have long known that policies in other sectors (housing, transport, education, etc.) can protect and improve public health. But we now understand how important it is to improve health if we want to succeed in other industries.

"Healthier people stay longer in the labor market and are more productive.

"Healthier children have better educational outcomes. Healthier households invest more in small and medium-sized businesses.”

Professor McKee added that governments have no choice but to channel investment in health through a broader cross-sectoral approach.

He said: “Everything affects health, but not everyone thinks that health is their problem. Economic growth, security, social cohesion or prosperity... whatever the goal, governments will not achieve it unless they invest in health.

"The pandemic has certainly taught us that if we do not invest in people's health, we do so at our peril. We really have no choice if we want Ireland and Northern Ireland to be strong, secure, united and ready for a united but uncertain future."

Suzanne Costello, PIH chief executive, said policy change could focus on improving health and preventing disease.

Ms Costello said: “Health services are important, but so are investments in improving health, preventing disease and finding solutions to the wider social and economic factors that affect health.

"A change in policy can lead to a healthier economy, healthier communities and a healthier future for all."

Ms Costello said that while significant progress had been made in key public health policy areas such as tobacco control since 1998, both jurisdictions still faced common health challenges that could benefit from improved North-North co-operation.

Ms Costello said: “In the face of the growing challenges affecting our health – growing health inequalities, the cost of living crisis, the global climate crisis and the rise of non-communicable diseases – there is a huge opportunity to reinvent our approach to healthcare . Ireland.

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