Wales Health Impact Assessment Support Unit: Trade, health and well-being event report

As a result of the decision to leave the EU, the UK will be developing its own independent trade policy for the first time in over 40 years. This has significant implications for a range of the determinants of health and well-being in Wales including food standards, environmental protection, tobacco and alcohol regulations, as well as economic and working conditions.

The Wales Health Impact Assessment Support Unit (WHIASU) held a workshop and masterclass with multi agency stakeholders on November 7^th 2019 as part of implementing the actions of the Public Health Implications of Brexit: A HIA Approach Main Findings Report (2019). One recommendation from the HIA was that the public health system should consider how to build knowledge, skills and capacity to ensure health and well-being are considered at the forefront of the development of new trade policy.

The event was chaired by the Chief Executive of Public Health Wales, Dr Tracey Cooper, and aimed to build and share knowledge on the new trade policy environment and its potential implications for health and well-being in Wales and also explore how the public health system can engage with the development of new trade policy.

Speakers included policy makers, academic with expertise in the impacts of trade on population health and inequalities, public health.

FPH Policy Lead Dr. Sue Lloyd delivered a presentation on “Engaging and influencing trade policy: negotiating a ‘healthy’ trade policy for the UK”.

You can download Sue's presentation and others via the WHIASU website here.