EuroHealthNet Country Exchange Visit: Preventing Child Poverty to Reduce Health Inequalities (Report available)
Glasgow, Scotland
Read the event report here.
Children living in poverty face inadequate nutrition, substandard housing, limited healthcare access, and heightened exposure to pollution, resulting in poorer health. Given that 24.7% of children in the EU faced the risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2022, measures destined to tackle child poverty across Europe are urgent.
The introduction of the European Child Guarantee (ECG) in 2021 underscores the EU’s commitment to support breaking the cycle of inequality, with the health sector playing a crucial role in implementing multi-sectoral policies to uplift communities and improve health outcomes. Leveraging the ECG presents an opportunity to alleviate child poverty and mitigate associated health inequalities effectively.
Elevating children out of poverty requires a multifaceted, intersectoral approach, acknowledging diverse contributing factors such as low parental wages, limited education, or rural residency. Scotland’s whole-government approach, exemplified by the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 and its statutory targets, offers a commendable model. Through this lens, participants will examine innovative policy frameworks and evidence-based interventions, fostering cross-border exchange to drive tangible progress in addressing child poverty and reducing health inequalities across Europe. Emphasising prevention over reactionary measures, participants will explore the transformative role of health service providers and public health initiatives in addressing the socio-economic determinants of child poverty, paving the way for sustainable change and improved health outcomes.
In this context, this Country Exchange Visit (CEV), hosted by our member Public Health Scotland, offers a platform for representatives of national or regional public health agencies from across the EU to:
- Explore the main challenges in addressing and mitigating child poverty and its associated health inequalities on local, national, and European level.
- Share best practices for tackling child poverty as a public health challenge.
- Examine Scotland’s innovative approach to addressing child poverty through intersectoral collaboration, and how this model can be adapted and implemented by other health services.
- Strategise on how to foster an environment conducive to addressing child poverty through collaborative and targeted efforts.
Additionally, participants will learn about Glasgow’s pioneering initiatives aimed at promoting child health in cities, where poverty eradication is integrated into all policies, thus emphasising its significance. Furthermore, attendees will have the opportunity to visit an organisation offering support to vulnerable pregnant women through financial guidance, aiming to prevent them and their children from slipping into poverty. Lastly, participants will hear from NHS Scotland, discovering how health services serve as anchor’s for communities, empowering them to take a proactive stance in combating child poverty.
Practical details:
- EuroHealthNet Country Exchange Visits are member-only events that are open to senior delegates.
- Please note that all participants will be required to invest some time in preparing for the event, for example, by presenting information from their country.
- Country Exchange Visits are held in English. Unfortunately, no interpretation service will be available. Due to the interactive nature of Country Exchange Visits, it is therefore advised that the representative attending feel comfortable exchanging information in English.
- Participants should arrive on Tuesday, 18 June, as the programme is starting on Wednesday 19 June at 9:00 BST, and are kindly requested to stay until the end of the CEV, 14:00 BST on Wednesday, 20 June.
- EuroHealthNet can fund the participation (travel and accommodation) of a limited number of members. EuroHealthNet will contact you with confirmation if you can attend on a funded basis.
- Discover the full agenda
