Interview

One minute interview

Angela Mawle is chief executive of the UK Public Health Association

What is the campaign about?

Through our members, activities and cooperation with others, UKPHA aims to be a unifying and powerful voice for the public’s health and well being in the UK. Our focus is on the need to eliminate inequalities in health, promote sustainable development and combat anti-health forces.

One of our main aims is to build awareness and action based on the simple fact that the public’s health is dependent upon a fair and just society and a healthy, sustainable environment – rather than simply on how many doctors, nurses and hospital beds we may or may not have available.

How long have you been going?

The UKPHA was launched in 1999 to promote a new vision of health and well-being in the UK. It was formed from three pre-existing organisations: the Public Health Alliance, the Association for Public Health and the Public Health Trust (which was the charitable arm of the PHA).

Who is involved?

A UK-wide membership of multi-disciplinary public health professionals represented by a council of trustees who bring an incredibly wide range of expertise and a deep commitment to giving voice to the public health movement.

Your biggest success?

Our strengths lie in attracting and involving such a diverse and highly motivated membership; our annual public health forum, which is the hotbed of best practice and new ideas in the widest possible interpretation of the public’s health; and the hugely influential voice we are fortunate to have with policy makers.

Your biggest failure?

Not having the capacity to really seize current opportunities to make the links in the public’s mind between health and well-being, and societal and lifestyle influences. Ideally, to do this we would need staffed bases in all of the regions and countries of the UK.

Your most immediate concern?

To help ensure that the government at all levels (local, regional and national) not only ‘talks the talk’ but also ‘walks the walk’ on health inequalities, and to draw attention to the huge vested interests that lie behind the commercialisation and promotion of poor nutrition.

What would help most in achieving your ends?

The ability to engage effectively at the grassroots -- where it matters -- with all of our membership throughout the UK. And that, inevitably, means we have to find the resources to do so.

And how can readers get in touch?

Feel free to contact me by phone (0870 010 1930) or email: angela@ukpha.org.uk. Or write to UKPHA, 7th floor, Holborn Gate, 330 High Holborn, London WC1V 7BA.

You can also find out more from our web site: www.ukpha.org.uk