A collaboration between the Fraser of Allander Institute and the Centre for Health Policy at Strathclyde. Funded by @healthfoundation.bsky.social. https://scothealthequity.org/https://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mwaonrcr3g2oYesterday’s Scottish drug death figures show the rate of drug use deaths among men rose sharply in 2025, following a decline in 2024 although the rate remains below peaks observed between 2018 and 2021. Last year’s fall was welcome, but it was too soon to know whether it marked a sustained change.24 Sep 2026 07:00 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwaonrcr3g2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mw6k4x7als2z1/ Prevention is often discussed in terms of policy ambition and national plans. Our new report asks: what does prevention look like from the perspective of the people trying to make it happen?23 Sep 2026 10:34 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mw6k4x7als2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mvmvsmkj432oNow that we’ve had two weeks to look over it, our reaction to the Programme for Government is out today. Our central question: what does it mean for health inequalities? The PfG is certainly ambitious, but it's not clear how far beyond intention it will go. Read the briefing here: buff.ly/eoViETB https://scothealthequity.org/beyond-ambition-what-does-scotlands-new-programme-for-government-mean-for-health-inequalities16 Sep 2026 10:15 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvmvsmkj432ohttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3muhycsawcd2mThis year’s Programme for Government is notable because it covers the next 5 years (rather than just a year), supported by annual delivery plans aligned with future budgets. A longer-term framework can improve coherence and funding stability, enabling more joined-up action to reduce inequalities.01 Sep 2026 17:51 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3muhycsawcd2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mtdzof5ppu2kTo deliver on Public Sector Reform, Scotland needs to actively reshape government structures and work to dismantle silos, engage local government and communities, and provide secure, long-term investments in communities.18 Aug 2026 10:40 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtdzof5ppu2khttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mruasvuy7k2yOur July edition of Prevention Watch is out now! This month, we look at the Scottish Government's new Prevention Unit, the CMO's annual report, further reflections on youth employment & the Milburn review, and an audit into housing from Audit Scotland. Read here: https://scothealthequity.org/prevention-watch-july-2026/30 Jul 2026 10:40 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mruasvuy7k2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mrfkm2aicp23New SHERU analysis explores the dynamics of poverty among young adult men. How persistent is poverty among this group? What events push young men into poverty – and what events pull them out? Read the report: https://scothealthequity.org/poverty-dynamics-among-young-adult-men-in-scotland/24 Jul 2026 14:25 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrfkm2aicp23https://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mpxzq2aqc42pCongratulations to our co-lead @profkatsmith.bsky.social, @profbambra.bsky.social and Julia Lynch, on winning the Richard Titmuss Book Award for their Policy Press book "Getting Better: The Policies and Politics of Reducing Health Inequalities" at last week’s @socialpolicyuk.bsky.social Conference!06 Jul 2026 11:53 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpxzq2aqc42phttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mpistccs3p2tICYMI: Last week, we released a briefing on the challenges with (& solutions for) labour market stats. One of the more interesting cases: employment volume in Orkney, which has collapsed under current APS estimates. See our report (& data dashboard) here: buff.ly/8GTFzuQ30 Jun 2026 10:40 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpistccs3p2thttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mp4nooubha2hIt's become increasingly difficult in recent years to know how many people in Scottish local authorities are not in work. With this in mind, we built a dashboard which uses tax data to model employment across all 32 local authorities. View it & accompanying report here: https://scothealthequity.org/local-authority-labour-market-dashboard/25 Jun 2026 14:36 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp4nooubha2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mnhtvfnr6i25Last week's Milburn Review showed how disconnected young people are from education, employment & training in the UK. But what's the picture in Scotland? We found a slightly better picture of participation here, but his concerns nevertheless ring true. Read more here: https://scothealthequity.org/employment-and-education-among-young-adults-in-scotland/04 Jun 2026 14:36 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnhtvfnr6i25https://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mmyl2w6nty2lOur May edition of Prevention Watch is out! We look at preventative reports for the new parliament, DWP’s Right to Try policy, the price of drug-related deaths, investing in leisure & sport for wellbeing, + PHS’ report on monitoring health inequalities. https://scothealthequity.org/prevention-watch-may-2026/29 May 2026 12:48 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmyl2w6nty2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mlnwnpqtod2qWe are pleased to share a new development in the SHERU Data at a Glance resource. scothealthequitydatadashboard.my.canva.site/homedash https://scothealthequitydatadashboard.my.canva.site/homedash12 May 2026 13:51 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlnwnpqtod2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mks6xwo3iq2mEmployability policy has the potential to play a significant role in reducing health inequalities. New SHERU analysis considers how Scotland's employability strategy, No One Left Behind, can best fulfil this potential. Read the report here: https://scothealthequity.org/assessing-scotlands-approach-to-employability-from-a-health-inequalities-perspective/01 May 2026 13:05 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mks6xwo3iq2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mkptl5kt6f2mWith the Scottish election a week away, we looked at how preventative each party's policies might be. Spoiler: some messaging was better than others. View our analysis here: https://scothealthequity.org/the-scottish-election-2026/30 Apr 2026 14:36 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkptl5kt6f2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mki44tnhsb23💻️ Recording of our latest webinar is now live 🗳️ Views on health policy and prevention: a look to the Scottish election Featuring Allison Catalano, Katherine Smith @profkatsmith.bsky.social David Finch @healthfoundation.bsky.social and Fiona McHardy Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vYXVa045vU27 Apr 2026 12:47 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mki44tnhsb23https://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mjwd6bzr6w2eTackling child poverty agenda in Scotland is at a pivotal point, with any new administration facing challenging targets to reach by 2030; preventative approaches to policy are also gathering interest. Read our response to the tackling child poverty delivery plan https://scothealthequity.org/assessing-the-tackling-child-poverty-agenda-the-role-of-prevention/20 Apr 2026 11:05 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjwd6bzr6w2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mj4qro2kv72wLast month, we held a series of stakeholder engagement sessions to discuss our recent work on health inequalities and young adult men. Read our reflections here: https://scothealthequity.org/men-and-health-inequalities-in-scotland-reflections-from-stakeholder-engagement-sessions/10 Apr 2026 07:00 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj4qro2kv72whttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3migbmg2zmt2mOur March edition of Prevention Watch is out: PHS’ new 10-Year Strategy & transport poverty review; Parenting Across Scotland’s report on access to hobbies for young people; work on young adult men and prevention; Scotland’s new Alcohol & Drug strategy. https://scothealthequity.org/prevention-watch-march-2026/01 Apr 2026 08:30 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3migbmg2zmt2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mi6l6xgvnb22Earlier this year, SHERU consulted with researchers at SPICe to discuss the ongoing need for prevention-based policies and the need to implement prevention into budgeting activities. https://digitalpublications.parliament.scot/ResearchBriefings/Report/2026/3/25/3a14234e-0db7-47eb-8bb7-9c871efc3b0229 Mar 2026 07:00 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mi6l6xgvnb22https://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mi25tb5uvq26Following the Scottish Government’s final child poverty delivery plan, new stats out yesterday show both relative and absolute child poverty fell by 1 percentage point in 2022-25 compared to 2021-24. Relative child poverty after housing costs was 21% and absolute poverty was 23%.27 Mar 2026 12:50 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mi25tb5uvq26https://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mhumohuoia22Last year, we worked with ScotCen to include 11 questions about health inequalities & prevention in the annual Scottish Social Attitudes survey. Crucially: 94% of the population thinks it’s important for the Scottish Government to reduce the health gap between rich & poor people.25 Mar 2026 08:00 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhumohuoia22https://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mhggk6qf572r🔷 New webinar 🔷 🗳️ Views on health policy and prevention: a look to the Scottish election 🕙️ Thursday April 23rd, 10-11am https://www.eventbrite.com/e/views-on-health-policy-and-prevention-a-look-to-the-scottish-election-tickets-198537914647219 Mar 2026 16:33 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhggk6qf572rhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mgagthspn52hA recording of our webinar "Refreshing the National Performance Framework" is now online. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jGkgsmzoe8 Featuring Mairi Spowage @fraserofallander.org Sarah Davidson @carnegieuk.bsky.social and Ali Hosie (Scottish Human Rights Commission).04 Mar 2026 13:57 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgagthspn52hhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mg63iww3aa2nWe have a new article out today which lays out what we do and don’t know about No One Left Behind, Scotland’s strategic framework and funding stream for employability. https://scothealthequity.org/employability-in-scotland/03 Mar 2026 15:29 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg63iww3aa2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mfoarid2i62r🔷New SHERU webinar🔷 ❤️‍🩹 Young adult men and the drivers of health inequalities https://www.eventbrite.com/e/young-adult-men-and-the-drivers-of-health-inequalities-tickets-1983884032546 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/young-adult-men-and-the-drivers-of-health-inequalities-tickets-1983884032546?aff=oddtdtcreator25 Feb 2026 08:20 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfoarid2i62rhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3meogctdhoj2yOur latest report featured in @heraldscotland.bsky.social: Young Scottish men 'experiencing poverty at similar rates to children' https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/25849123.young-scottish-men-experiencing-poverty-similar-rates-children/12 Feb 2026 16:34 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3meogctdhoj2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3menp27gu7m2mNew SHERU analysis highlights a concerning rise in poverty among young men in Scotland – a key group of interest from a health inequality perspective. https://scothealthequity.org/poverty-among-young-adult-men-in-scotland/12 Feb 2026 09:38 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3menp27gu7m2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3meg7qoyhvq2fNew SHERU webinar: 🔷Refreshing the National Performance Framework🔷 🕐️ Monday March 2nd, 1-2pm 🔗 Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/refreshing-the-national-performance-framework-tickets-198243496835609 Feb 2026 10:16 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3meg7qoyhvq2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/scothealtheq.bsky.social/post/3mdn5qvjnvi2jNew output from SHERU 🪙 📈 The impact of the pandemic on savings and debt: did the experience of Scotland differ from the rest of Great Britain? https://scothealthequity.org/the-impact-of-the-pandemic-on-savings-and-debt-did-the-experience-of-scotland-differ-from-the-rest-of-great-britain/30 Jan 2026 11:03 +0000at://did:plc:7izu4fseqn4bacwqkxaxwikv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdn5qvjnvi2j