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. This Plan 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. Following the finalisation of the new Local Economic & Community Plan in 2024, 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 will have 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
The Healthy Wexford County Plan 2020-2022 provided associated actions under each priority. The plan is available here and a summary of Healthy Wexford and the main Plan Actions is available here.