Speaking ahead of World Health Day, which is marked today, April 7th, she said that tackling inequality is the biggest single thing governments can do to improve public health.

“We need to concentrate on development policies – and tackle the growing inequality that’s causing ill-health in the industrialised North,” she said.

“The World Health Organisation is using today to launch a new campaign on mosquito-spread diseases: and the long-term solution must be lifting people out of poverty, not least so they can afford some of the simple prevention measures.

“Malaria and dengue fever kill millions worldwide each year, and we know that climate change is spreading the range of the mosquitoes that carry them into Europe.

“This will present further challenges to healthcare providers, which means strengthening the right to access healthcare, not using austerity measures to shrink the possibilities – especially for the most vulnerable.

“The biggest difference any government can make to improving a nation’s health is to tackle inequality – and that’s true whether you’re in London, Lagos or Lisbon.”

For more information on World Health Day, click here.

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Speaking at the conference launching European Federation of Public Services Unions (EPSU) campaign backing the European Trade Unions Confederation (ETUC) Europe wide petition on the subject, Jean urged all those that care about public services to sign up.

Jean Lambert, who is Green MEP for London and has continued to campaign for the protection of public services, today said; “A wide variety of public services are relied upon by thousands of people across Europe and we simply can’t sit back and see these being undermined.  We all have to act now to ensure everyone has access to good health care, schools and quality public services now and in the future.

“It is essential that the public interest is seen as more important than open markets and by reaching the target of one million signatures on the petition, the European Commission will see there is a public demand for action.”

The petition can be signed at www.petitionpublicservice.eu

ENDS

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