Oxfordshire County Council to target health inequalities in south and west
Renewed focus comes after progress in priority areas, says Director of Public Health
Oxfordshire County Council’s Director of Public Health, Dr Ansaf Azhar, has outlined plans to focus on tackling health inequalities in the south and west of the county, following progress in some of Oxfordshire’s most deprived communities.
According to his latest annual report, improvements have been observed in several of the 10 priority areas - which were listed within the 20 per cent most deprived nationally.
Dr Azhar explains the need for continued effort beyond these initial communities to ensure comprehensive progress.
“We know that the areas we didn't focus on - particularly in the south and west - have slightly worsened,” he said. “We've got an opportunity now to build on that work we've done in the 10 wards and make this countywide."
The previous work has included employing a partnership strategy that involved councils, NHS organisations, and voluntary groups.
A significant element of this involved building "community insight profiles," which combined data with lived experiences to identify local needs and resources.
These profiles underscored the importance of tailoring solutions to each community, recognising that issues such as loneliness, mental health, and childhood obesity require nuanced addressing.
"You might have different cultural and language barriers, so saying that you're going to address the same problem in the same way in these communities will not work," Dr Azhar said.
While some areas, such as Barton, have seen improvement and no longer fall within the most deprived 20 per cent nationally, areas like Witney Central have newly entered that category.
The next stage will focus on extending this learning, particularly through the county’s commitment as a Marmot County, a program launched in November 2024 focused on addressing the broader social and economic factors affecting health.
“This is about making inequality everyone’s business,” Dr Azhar said. “We need think about how to plan housing, roads, green spaces and link communities."
The report will be formally launched at a countywide event in May, bringing together organisations to reflect on progress and strategise the next phase of efforts to reduce health inequalities across Oxfordshire.