There’s no “silver bullet” for Guernsey’s health challenges, but a new report highlights the “incredible” breadth of work the island’s Health Improvement Commission (HIC) does.
The report looks at what HIC has achieved in five key areas: healthy nutrition, physical activity, healthier weight, substance use and Bailiwick Social Prescribing.
HIC Chief Executive Simon Sebire said: “The core message is, from a general perspective, how prevention is becoming really embedded in lots of different parts of our community, especially in terms of how we think about health.”
“The work that’s in the report reflects the work that we do with all of those different sectors, and that’s the preventative work that really makes a difference in terms of creating healthier environments and makes healthier living easier for everybody.”
The report showed “significant progress” supporting healthier lives across the Bailiwick, through early intervention and community-based health improvement initiatives, HIC said.
‘Incredible breadth of work’
While it might not be about to top any best-seller lists, one person who enjoyed reading it was Lucy Cave, the person in charge of reducing smoking on the island.
Ms Cave said the report made for “nice reading”, and knowing how much HIC had done made her feel “joyous”.
“To have the annual report in writing, and go through all the different work streams and realise, wow, like the breadth of work that we’re doing is incredible,” said Lucy Cave.
Be Active Lead Alex Costen said: “Well, for me, it’s nice to see the written out report as it demonstrates the huge amount of work we do that benefits right from teeny tiny people up to older adults.”
