00:00In a city where more than half the population lives in some of the most deprived areas in England,
00:06improving public health is a complex and long-term challenge.
00:10Liverpool's Director of Public Health, Professor Matt Ashton,
00:13says the latest annual report marks a fundamental shift in how services are delivered,
00:18with a stronger focus on prevention, accessibility and joined-up care.
00:22Since 2020, a wide range of services have been redesigned.
00:26These include support for sexual health, drug and alcohol recovery,
00:30infection prevention and services for children and families.
00:33According to the report, around 54% of Liverpool residents live within the 20% of most deprived areas nationally,
00:40whilst nearly one in three children under 16 lives in poverty.
00:44Life expectancy also remains below the national average, with men expected to live to 76 and women to 80.
00:51Against that backdrop, the council says its transformation programme is already showing results.
00:56The city's 0-19 healthy child programme has increased face-to-face support
01:00and targeted health for vulnerable families.
01:03Smoking rates have fallen to around 12% of adults,
01:06with two-thirds of quit attempts through local services reported as successful.
01:10The report also highlights ongoing challenges, including drug-related deaths,
01:14but notes improvements in recovery outcomes through the city's river service.
01:18Professor Ashton says the focus now is on building on that progress through partnership working,
01:24evidence-led approaches and keeping communities at the centre of future services.
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