Child health equity means a fair opportunity for all children to live a long and healthy life, whatever their background. ——
Achieving child health equity
Working with our partners across sectors, and listening to our children, young people and families, Raise Camden aims to address the interconnected challenges that cause child health inequity. Together we will be:
- Reducing child poverty: growing up in poverty affects children’s ability to learn and develop.
- Tackling racism and inequality: racism and unfair systems in society, combined with poverty and poor family mental health, can increase inequalities in our communities.
- Supporting whole family mental health: when adults and children in a family have good mental health, it supports children’s emotional and social development.
Child health equity in Camden
In Camden, and around the country, some groups of children, babies and young people grow up with worse health than others because of things out of their control, like where they live, the home they live in, or their parents’ income. Children and young people from Black, Asian and other ethnic backgrounds are more likely to grow up in poverty. This is unfair.
Poverty is also a major factor in the unfair differences we’re seeing impact Camden children and young people. Growing up in poverty affects every aspect of a child’s life and their future life chances, including their health.
Low income families are at higher risk of poor health, which can limit education or employment opportunities and make it harder for families to escape poverty. On the other hand, a happy and healthy childhood increases the likelihood of lifelong good health and wellbeing.
The national picture
For the first time in recent history, the next generation is expected to have worse outcomes and opportunities than their parents in housing, employment, physical and mental health.
Child poverty is increasing in the UK, leading to higher rates of health conditions for babies, children and young people [1]. If this isn’t addressed, we can expect these children to live with poorer health as they grow up, and possibly need more support from the NHS, councils, and the government.
Child poverty rates are higher for children in large families and in families where the youngest child is under five. Similar rates of child poverty are now being seen in families where children are older [2]. This suggests that it is becoming more difficult for family circumstances to improve once children have started school.
The UK has one of the lowest levels of social mobility in Europe [3]. It will take five generations for our most deprived families to reach the median income [4].
Read more about child health equity.
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