A new generation of children and young people face shorter lives and worsening health, a new report has warned.
The COVID-19 Marmot Review warns England’s excess death rate linked to COVID-19 is the highest in Europe because of failures to control the pandemic alongside the UK’s ‘lost decade’ in health.
Containment measures such as lockdowns and tier systems have also harmed children and young people’s well-being, the new review found.
The review - which follows on from the publication of The Marmot Review 10 Years On in February - calls on the Government to prioritise a well-being economy through a national inequalities strategy.
Sir Michael said: 'There is an urgent need to do things differently, to build a society that functions to meet the needs of its members; to build a well-being economy that puts achievement of health and well-being at the heart of government strategy, rather than narrow economic goals; to build a society that responds to the climate crisis at the same time as achieving greater health equity.'
Dr Jennifer Dixon, chief executive of the Health Foundation, commented: 'There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic will take its toll on society for some time to come. The virus itself and the measures that have been taken to contain it, such as lockdown, have been hugely significant and felt by everyone. This report highlights the unequal impact it has had, affecting some people much more than others.'
