The Vision for a Healthy Wexford is where everyone can enjoy physical and mental health and wellbeing to their full potential, where wellbeing is valued and supported at every level of society and is everyone’s responsibility.
To help in bringing this vision to life, Wexford developed a Healthy Wexford County Plan 2020-2022. The plan is available here and a summary of Healthy Wexford and the main Plan Actions is available here. It supported the implementation of Healthy Ireland, the national health and wellbeing framework, at a local level, to improve the health and wellbeing of all in County Wexford. Read more about Healthy Ireland here. and its Strategic Action Plan 2021-2025 here.
The Healthy Wexford County Plan was followed by a further Needs Analysis Survey in 2022 and a Forward Planning Workshop in November 2022 for development of the Local Strategy and Healthy Ireland Funding Application for 2023-2025. This also informed contribution to additional workplans and feed into the development of the Local Economic & Community Plan 2024-2029. Following development of the new Healthy Ireland Framework in 2026, Healthy Wexford will compile an update to this Healthy Wexford Plan.
Many factors, or determinants, can influence a person’s health and wellbeing. Good health is not evenly distributed across Irish society. The circumstances in which people are born, grow, live, work and age all impact on their health, in addition to the individual choices people make about how to live.
In line with the Healthy Ireland Framework, the Plan for County Wexford has four overarching goals:
- increase the proportion of people who are healthy at all stages of life
- reduce health inequalities
- protect the public from threats to health and well being
- create an environment where every individual and sector of society can play their part in achieving a healthy Ireland
Local Authorities have a significant role in protecting and promoting their citizens’ health and wellbeing. Wexford Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) and Wexford Healthy County Committee, working with a range of organisations and groups, will oversee the implementation of this plan. However, it is partnerships and collaboration with statutory bodies, business, community and voluntary organisations that will ensure delivery of a Healthy Wexford.
Six key priority areas have been identified under the Healthy Ireland Framework, and these are replicated priorities for Healthy Wexford.
PRIORITY 1: Physical activity
PRIORITY 2: Healthy weight
PRIORITY 3: Tobacco free
PRIORITY 4: Sexual health
PRIORITY 5: Alcohol and drug related harm
PRIORITY 6: Mental health
In addition, the objective of the Healthy Ireland Fund 2023 – 2026 is to improve the health and wellbeing of people of all ages and abilities living in Ireland through the implementation of the Healthy Ireland Strategic Action Plan 2021-2025 Here. This plan includes the following Priority Focus Areas which are also key for Healthy Wexford:
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Keeping Active
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Staying Connected
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Switching Off and Being Creative
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Eating Well
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Minding your Mood
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Minding your Body