Birmingham Public Health contributes to Chief Medical Officer’s annual report

Birmingham City Council’s Public Health Division has written two chapters highlighting some of the health challenges facing such a large and diverse city for the Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2024: Health in Cities.

The invitation to contribute to the report followed a visit to the city from Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty earlier this year (2024).

The report, which was published on 12th December, paints a picture of the current state of public health in England and outlines a series of recommendations to address health in cities, particularly for people living in areas of deprivation, including action on risk factors such as obesity and air pollution, the food environment and healthcare service planning and delivery. 

One of the chapters provided by the Public Health Division focuses on Birmingham itself, including its history, challenges and opportunities as a city, taking into account factors such as its key demographics, as well as the economic, employment and education landscape.

The second chapter looks at food systems within cities and, specifically, the work taking place in Birmingham through the Birmingham Food Revolution to create a more sustainable, healthier and fairer food system. This chapter notes that Birmingham is striving to support cities to learn and work together to improve food systems, adding that although collaborative work and innovative solutions are needed to tackle the significant health challenges caused by the food system, cities are well placed to begin to address this.

Councillor Nicky Brennan, Cabinet Member for Social Justice, Community Safety and Equalities at Birmingham City Council, said: “I am really pleased that Birmingham has been able to contribute two chapters to such an important report, providing an insight into the health challenges facing our wonderful, diverse city, as well as illustrating how Birmingham is leading the way in efforts to improve food systems in cities across the country.”

To learn more, please download the Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report: 'Health in Cities'. 

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Notes to Editors:

Food systems are the networks involved in every stage of the food process from production through to ensuring it reaches the consumer. This includes everyone and everything who either has influence on or is influenced by any stage in this process, from farm to fork.