Poverty SIG Events
Tackling Poverty - A Call to Action
FPH has joined with the Royal Society of Medicine, the Association of Directors of Public Health, and the Royal Society for Public Health to host this major event addressing poverty in the UK.
Leaders from both the charitable and public health sectors delivered insightful talks, shedding light on the root causes of poverty and the current cost-of-living crisis. The profound impact of poverty on health, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children and families, was a particular focus of the day.
This hybrid Conference was filled with diverse perspectives, robust discussions, and an emphasis on actionable solutions for combating poverty and its adverse effects at both the national and local levels.
This event took place at the Royal Society of Medicine in London and online, on 17 May 2024.
Recordings and slides
This Conference opened with welcome addresses from:
- Professor Maggie Rae, President, RSM, Epidemiology and Public Health section
- Professor Kevin Fenton, FPH President
- William Roberts, RSPH CEO
- Greg Fell, ADPH President
During the first part of the Conference, we heard presentations from:
- Paul Kissack – A view from Joseph Rowntree Foundation
- Clare Moriarty (Citizens Advice CEO) – Helping citizens living in poverty
- Dr Margaret Douglas – Localised perspectives on poverty and transport poverty in Scotland
- Dhanya Gardner – Facilitating financial wellbeing: a local authority perspective
During the second part of the Conference, we heard presentations from:
- Hannah Slaughter – Steps to reduce poverty and improve health and the economy
- Dr Ciaran Humphreys – Child poverty - A Welsh perspective
- Alison Garnham – Tackling child poverty in the UK
The Conference closed with a discussion session on the RSM, FPH, ADPH and RSPH's joint call-to-action, consensus statement and next steps, followed by Q&A.
Hybrid conference: Poverty and the cost-of-living crisis – a public health emergency (2023)
In collaboration with the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM), Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), and the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH), the Faculty of Public Health (FPH), held a hybrid conference on poverty and the cost-of-living crisis on 9th May 2023.
This key population and health inequalities conference highlighted the current crisis in the UK and raised awareness about evidence-based interventions that can be implemented to tackle poverty and its effects.
Speakers explored how the crisis is affecting public health across the UK, before delving into possible approaches and solutions that may be implemented to help priority areas such as child poverty, housing, and fuel. The end of the conference saw a panel of experts summarising the key issues raised and offering some possible next steps, to tackle these issues as a public health community.
Watch the full event recording either via this link or below.
Access the slides from Professor Sir Michael Marmot's presentation here.
- Mrs Helena Robinson: Local authority response - impact of the cost-of-living crisis in Swindon.
- Professor Nisreen Alwan: Food insecurity in Dorset Hampshire.
- Professor Gerry McCartney: Research on modelling impacts in Scotland of austerity and current economic policies on health.
- Mrs Catherine Parker: Research on financial barriers to access, experience and outcomes in child and adolescent mental health services in TEWV NHS Trust and Children’s North East.
- Dr Louisa Petchey: Public Health Wales’ cost-of-living report.
- Susan E Mechan: Housing, fuel poverty, and legal cases holding private providers to account on housing.
- Dr Isobel Braithwaite: Main links between the UK's housing system, poverty and the cost-of-living crisis from a public health perspective.
- Mr Philip Satherley: RSPH research on cost-of-living.
- Alistair Cooper: Barnados research on cost-of-living impact on children and young people.
Webinar: Financial Wellbeing 2024
Entrenched and deepening poverty exacerbated by the cost of living crisis is a critical issue for health and health inequalities. Financial wellbeing (resilience/inclusion) is an attribute that can help households prevent or mitigate poverty. This webinar discussed what financial wellbeing is, why it matters for addressing poverty and health, and used two local examples to stimulate thinking about how public health teams can promote it.
Webinar: Embedding environmental and sustainability considerations into the public health response to the cost-of-living crisis (2023)
Delivered jointly by the FPH Sustainability Special Interest Group and the FPH Poverty Special Interest Group.
In January 2023, FPH’s Sustainable Development and Poverty SIGs co-hosted a workshop on how to ensure the public health response to the cost-of-living crisis was environmentally friendly and sustainable. The workshop presented a ‘Thinking Guide’ that was developed by the SIGs to help public health professionals prioritise sustainable interventions in tackling the cost-of-living crisis.
View the event recording here or below.
Webinar: Food Insecurity as a Public Health Priority
Delivered jointly by the FPH Food Special Interest Group and the FPH Poverty Special Interest Group.
“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” World Food Summit, 1996.
In the UK, food insecurity is a reality for many, with levels rising with the current cost of living pressures. According to survey data from the Food Foundation, in September 2022 over 18% of households in the UK were experiencing food insecurity, a figure that rises to over 25% for households with children. These rates are higher than levels seen at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, and more than double what they were in January 2022.
These figures are a significant concern, but what do they mean from a public health perspective? How do we define Food Insecurity, and what is the Public Health role in addressing it?
This webinar examined food insecurity in the UK through a public health lens: what it means, how it is measured, who it affects in our society, and what the health and wellbeing impacts are across the life course. The webinar then covers examples of practical approaches for addressing food insecurity at a local and regional level.
Access the slides from the webinar:
- Food Insecurity as a public health issue, Kristin Bash
- Food Insecurity as a Public Health Priority: Framing the Solutions with Food Ladders, Megan Blake
- A whole systems approach: Public Health Interventions on Food Insecurity - an example from Liverpool, Naomi Maynard
Access the summary of survey results and impact:
View the event recording here or below.
Transport poverty and health (2024)
Transport poverty is an important issue for health and health inequalities. This webinar discussed what transport poverty is and why it matters for health, and stimulated thinking about how participants might help reduce these impacts.
Investigating and addressing inequities on the mental health impacts of climate change (2024)
The United Nations has recognised that mental distress is the challenge for humanity navigating our future of uncertain and complex times, not least climate change and widening inequalities. This webinar will share knowledge on understanding the mental health inequities associated with climate change and discuss the public health approaches that can be used to reduce them.
This webinar was organised by the FPH Public Mental Health, Academic Public Health, Sustainable Development, and Poverty SIGs and took place on 10 April 2024 as part of series of learning webinars during Global Public Health Week.
You can view the slides shared by Judi Kidger and Fiona Duncan (NIHR), Emma Lawrance (Climate Cares Centre) as well as the links shared in the chat throughout the webinar here.
