HEDS researchers collaborate on new SIPHER consortium to drive policy reform and tackle health inequalities

https://sipher.ac.uk/

A new national public health research consortium, co-led by Professor Petra Meier from ScHARR's Public Health section, is set to drive policy reform in order to tackle inequalities and improve the population’s health. HEDS colleagues, Professor Alan Brennan, Professor Aki Tsuchiya, Professor John Brazier and Dr Suzy Paisley are all involved in the research. 

The innovative SIPHER consortium – a new centre for Systems science In Public Health Economic Research – will provide evidence to support cost-effective action across different policy sectors, including economic growth, education and housing at different scales of government.

The consortium was launched as part of a £25 million funding programme from the UK Prevention Research Partnership (UKPRP) into understanding and influencing the social economic and environmental factors that affect our health.

Professor Meier, SIPHER Director and Professor of Public Health at the University of Sheffield, said: “We know that the conditions in which we are born and live are the key drivers of health and health inequalities. We also know that tackling these social determinants of health requires actions across many policy sectors, such as housing, education or employment.

Professor Meier said about the project: "SIPHER’s vision is a shift from public health policy to healthy public policy. This means all policy sectors working together to tackle health inequalities and improve the population’s health." 

The UKPRP is a partnership between four charities (British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Wellcome Trust and The Health Foundation), four UK Research and Innovation research councils (Medical Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, National Environmental Research Council and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) and four health and social care departments (Chief Scientist Office, Health and Care Research Wales, Health and Social Care Research and Development Northern Ireland and National Institute for Health Research).

For further details, see the University press release