Explore health equity through the lenses of economics, policy, and global health challenges - Policy
Wales is a small nation, yet it has a proud history of being outward and forward-looking, and committed to achieving sustainable development and prosperity for all within and beyond Welsh borders. The ground-breaking Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, implemented in synergy with a number of modern Welsh laws, positions Wales at the forefront of the sustainability agenda and enables transformative cross-sector work that benefits the people, the economy and the planet. It places an explicit commitment on public bodies towards achieving a healthier and more equal Wales. More recently, the Socio-economic Duty 2020 cements a commitment to safeguarding equality and human rights, and places tackling inequality at the heart of decision-making.
The concept of Health in All Policies (HiAP) is increasingly accepted by governments and the scientific community as an important pre-condition for improved population health and an overall fairer and more cohesive society. HiAP entails working synergistically across sectors to take account of the health implications of decisions, aims to avoid health harm and rebalance social and health equity. To accelerate progress in reaching those being left behind because of poor health, and in preventing others from falling behind, policy action is required that reaches not only the most vulnerable but also those disproportionally at risk of avoidable poor health.
The Welsh Health Equity Status Report initiative and the solutions for health equity web page brings together health and equity policies in Wales and beyond, it provides a gateway to supporting policies, plans and investment prioritization resources across different sectors and key stakeholders, in order to accelerate action and progress towards closing the health gap and achieving healthy prosperous lives.
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Page last reviewed: 19th January 2026