§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the public health initiatives planned by his Department in(a) Clwyd, South and (b) Wales. [10955]
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§ Mr. Win GriffithsInitiatives specific to the Clwyd, South area will be a matter for North Wales health authority.
At the all-Wales level, there are many public health initiatives under way, and proposed, to prevent ill health. Primary prevention initiatives including the Welsh child health surveillance programmes, for example, play a vital role in monitoring the health and development of children. The childhood vaccination and immunisation programme represents one of the most effective public health interventions currently available. At very little cost, lifelong protection can be provided against infectious diseases—the health burdens of which can be enormous.
Public education campaigns are under way, including national campaigns dealing with a full range of public health issues such as smoking, diet, physical activity, substance misuse and healthy sexual behaviour. In particular, the "Back to sleep" campaign aimed at reducing the number of cot deaths has been very successful.
A wide range of legislation is in place to control the incidence of food-borne diseases and the Government are committed to protecting the public health through additional measures to ensure the safety of food, including the establishment of a food standards agency. Specific research initiatives under way including all-Wales projects aimed at reducing the number of cases of food poisoning and levels of infections acquired during hospital stays, are progressing well.
Secondary prevention measures including the early detection of breast and cervical cancers, for example, through screening programmes available in Wales, have significantly improved chances of survival from these diseases.
In my statement on 7 July, I made reference to the progress made with the 1989 strategic intent and direction for the NHS in Wales and the Welsh health survey in 1995. Subsequently, a streamlined set of health targets were announced by the Secretary of State for Wales on 10 June. These include prevention initiatives to reduce deaths from cancer of the lung, breast and cervix. Other target areas include coronary heart disease and stroke. We have also asked health authorities to draw up plans to reduce accident and suicide rates and to work to improve the quality of life of patients with a number of painful conditions.
All these initiatives, both existing and proposed, will continue to be afforded a high priority to provide the greatest possible health benefits for the people of Wales and ensure that health strategies address the adverse effects on health of social, economic and environmental factors.