News

Health For All cash call

Local authorities throughout Britain have called on the government to take national action to support the World Health Organisation’s Health For All by the year 2000 campaign.

Health For All 2000 sets targets for member nations worldwide, with the aims of reducing inequalities in health, and promoting community participation in public health policy. The British government is a signatory to the WHO’s charter.

The Local Authorities Health Network, which represents 107 local authorities, local authority associations, health authorities and voluntary groups, believes that the government is guilty of foot-dragging and complacency over the initiative.

Paul Cresswell, convenor or the network said: ‘If anything is to be achieved in the next decade, we need carefully- targeted programmes of action involving government, health authorities and local councils, backed by government cash.

Meanwhile. the Health Policy Advisory Unit, (HPAU) a Sheffield-based charity, has plans to publish a national directory of Health For All activity. Maddy Halliday, chair of the unit, pointed out that there was no national information on progress being made locally towards Health For All targets. ‘We would be glad to hear from anyone who is doing work within this framework,’ she said.