Derry Councillor welcomes new physical and mental health Live Better support for areas most in need

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt recently listed ‘Live Better’ as one of his key priorities aimed at tackling health inequalities, which he said must be at the heart of health reform in Northern Ireland.

The ‘Live Better’ initiative on health inequalities, the Minister added, will be implemented within six months and is designed to bring targeted health support to communities which need it most.

This will seek to pull programmes together so that they can be delivered intensively in specific communities. It will cover areas including increasing uptake of health screening and vaccination; mental health and emotional well-being support; blood pressure and cholesterol checks; building health literacy; improving social connections; providing nutritional advice; and providing opportunities to be more physically active.

The Moor representative Colr. Hutton said:“This is a positive initiative which is clearly about improving health and wellbeing in communities by ensuring people have access to support and resources.

“It is crucial that it also focuses on improving health services for patients and works to increase preventative and early intervention measures within communities, and earlier interaction with health teams can help to manage conditions.

“Community and voluntary organisations have a key role to play in rolling out this project in helping ensure this reaches the people who need it most.

“I look forward to reading the full details of the Live Better initiative and I welcome the progress that has been made to date,” Colr. Hutton added.