Published 21 November 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a2666
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a2666

News

Health inequalities target will be met, claims health secretary

Adrian O’Dowd

1 London

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The UK government is on track to meet its targets to reduce health inequalities by 10% in 2010, according to the health secretary, Alan Johnson.

Mr Johnson, giving evidence to the parliamentary health select committee this week as part of its inquiry into health inequities, said that he was confident that the government would meet its targets set out in the Tackling Inequalities: A Programme for Action strategy, published in 2003.

The strategy set specific targets, such as a 10% reduction in inequities by 2010, measured by infant mortality and life expectancy at birth.

"I think we are going to make the target," Mr Johnson told the committee’s MPs.

Referring to some public health policies that would help to achieve the target, he added, "I don’t think the full effects of the smoke-free legislation, for instance, have fed through yet. There will also be some effect from GP surgeries going . . . [Full text of this article]


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