Wherever we glance – domestically, nationally, internationally – hazards to our well being are throughout us.
Well being threats have formed human historical past, however the world has at all times fought again, whether or not that’s by the invention of early vaccines and antibiotics which saved numerous lives to the way in which the COVID-19 pandemic revolutionised many elements of recent well being safety.
Wanting ahead, we’re coming into an period the place our altering local weather is more and more the context through which we plan for the affect of infectious illness and environmental hazards.
And we’re grappling with worrying points from declining charges of childhood vaccination and antimicrobial resistance by to the general public well being impacts of poor air high quality.
However we may be impressed by these challenges. Thrilling developments in fields like information evaluation and surveillance, genomics and vaccine improvement will form our response.
UKHSA was established to satisfy these challenges head on, getting ready for well being threats, stopping them if we will and responding successfully in an effort to save lives and shield livelihoods.
You’ll discover us on the bottom working with native companions to sort out incidents and outbreaks and in labs and scientific websites growing the expertise, vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics of the long run.
At present I’m happy to introduce our work in additional element by UKHSA’s first 3-year strategic plan, an essential staging-post in our improvement and an opportunity to mirror on the challenges and alternatives forward of us.
And as a brand new company in our second 12 months of operation, our strategic plan can also be a chance to inform a extra in-depth story about who we’re and what we do. It’s a narrative I’m very proud to inform.
A few of UKHSA’s work is seen and excessive profile so wants little introduction. Since we had been shaped in autumn 2021, we’ve tackled many infectious illness threats from discovering after which responding to mpox and poliovirus in wastewater by to investigating unexplained circumstances of hepatitis in kids.
Environmental hazards have additionally come to the fore, such because the response to essentially the most intense heatwave in our nation’s historical past final summer time.
However while threats like these unsurprisingly hit the headlines, our strategic plan additionally talks concerning the breadth of labor that goes on behind the scenes right here at UKHSA as we mix experience in medical and public well being, science, information and well being safety operations.
Our imaginative and prescient is to make use of this scientific and operational experience to guard each particular person, group, enterprise and public service from infectious illnesses and environmental hazards, serving to to create a protected and affluent society.
Making ready, responding, constructing
Our strategic plan explains how we’ll work to realize three objectives setting out how we are going to put together, reply and construct.
We put together so our nation is prepared for any future well being threats, stopping them if doable. Threats may vary from a brand new pandemic by to a chemical, organic, radiological, nuclear or environmental hazard or a catastrophe occasion.
Our strategic plan introduces the work we’re doing at native, nationwide and worldwide degree to arrange, together with our help for initiatives such because the 100 Days Mission and our work on vaccines, which spans from vaccine discovery and improvement by to roll-out to the inhabitants and real-world research of vaccine effectiveness.
Well being threats are at all times round us irrespective of how effectively we put together so we should additionally reply successfully. Our strategic plan particulars our work to reply to urgent threats from antimicrobial resistance and infectious illnesses like hepatitis, HIV and TB in addition to environmental hazards similar to air air pollution and opposed climate.
To be at our greatest, now and sooner or later, we should additionally construct, investing within the scientific, public well being and operational capabilities wanted to guard the nation’s well being. In addition to working with our companions to boost well being safety system capabilities our strategic plan additionally talks about what UKHSA will do to be the best and environment friendly organisation we may be.
And as we attempt to realize these objectives, we perceive and acknowledge that well being threats affect our communities in several methods. We’ll be relentless in defending each group as a result of we all know that it’s typically essentially the most weak individuals who have the more severe well being outcomes. These well being inequalities are unfair for these immediately impacted but in addition come at an incredible value to wider society, so our plan talks concerning the motion we are going to take with our companions to realize extra equitable outcomes for all.
Working collectively
Well being safety is a real crew effort. Every little thing we obtain is a results of the gifted folks right here at UKHSA and the power of relationships with companions from native and nationwide authorities, well being and care, voluntary sector, academia and extra. We put together, reply and construct as a broad group of consultants all equally keen about conserving folks protected.
And we’re extra dedicated than ever to forging partnerships with business and worldwide our bodies, innovating, bringing new funding to the UK and growing the UK as a science and well being safety superpower.
Please take a second to read our 3-year strategic plan on GOV.UK. Within the coming days we’ll even be publishing our marketing strategy which appears to be like at deliverables for 2023/4 and we are going to obtain our remit letter which outlines the Authorities’s expectations for UKHSA this 12 months.
We face many challenges forward however there isn’t a extra inspiring mission than getting ready, stopping and responding to well being threats so we will save lives and shield livelihoods.
It has by no means been clearer that defending well being advantages all of our communities, conserving society shifting and lowering stress on very important public providers.
Whether or not you might be one among my dedicated UKHSA colleagues or a valued accomplice, I stay up for working with you on this agenda.
