Healthier Places

Where you are affects how you are, as a person’s health can be impacted by the country or city they live in, the health of the environment, the condition of their home, the medical services they can access, or their experience in the workplace.

Where you are born or live can dictate how healthy your life will be. Our health is dependent on the quality of the environment we live in, and although the climate and biodiversity crises are global problems, some countries are being impacted more than others. The communities in these countries are more likely to be affected by pollution, poor water quality and availability, reduced food production, and extreme weather.

Inequalities persist within countries too, with communities in some cities and regions more likely to be living in poverty and deprivation than others. Consequences of this include homelessness or unsafe housing, malnutrition, and lack of access to adequate healthcare.

It’s not just where you live that can impact your health and wellbeing. Many of us spend most of our time in the workplace, and the quality of our jobs can affect our physical and mental health. Those in poor-quality jobs or unemployment can suffer worse health than those in good quality work.

Our Healthier Places challenge looks deeper into these issues and more. We are also exploring how other factors such as ageing and ethnicity can interact with these challenges and exacerbate health inequalities.

Spotlights

Case Studies

Institutes