A leading expert on child health inequalities recently presented a report and evidence to the independent public inquiry into the Covid pandemic.
Professor David Taylor-Robinson, Professor of Public Health and Policy in the Institute of Population Health at the University of Liverpool and Honorary Consultant in Public Health at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital discussed his report which explores the extent of child health inequalities prior to the pandemic and its likely implications.
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry, chaired by Baroness Hallet, has been set up to examine the UK’s response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and learn lessons for the future.
Professor David Taylor-Robinson said: “The pandemic has been a disaster for children, and the evidence clearly shows that things were moving in the wrong direction in the years prior to the pandemic.
“Our report lays bare the extremely worrying trends in child health indicators, such as stalling life expectancy at birth, increasing infant mortality rates, rising inequalities in obesity and children entering care.
“Liverpool is at the sharp end of child health inequalities, and it is vital that long-term recovery plans prioritise children and young people.
“I was pleased that our Health Inequalities Policy Research group has played a role in the inquiry. Over the summer Davara Bennett, Yu Wei Chua, Paris Lee, Rohan Singh and I pulled together the report, presenting the layered problems children faced and are facing, ensuring their experiences are taken into account and recorded.”
Professor Taylor-Robinson presented the report on Friday 6 October to the government-commissioned inquiry which, in the second module, is looking at core UK decision-making and political governance.
You can see Professor Taylor-Robinson’s presentation on the Inquiry’s YouTube channel, a transcript here, and click here for a copy of the report being discussed.