Public health is an equality issue too. People at the bottom of the income scale, and those with the worst housing and the least education, tend to have the poorest health, and as people climb the income scale they tend to eat more healthily, smoke and drink less and take more exercise. The government's wider efforts to tackle poverty and poor housing and to improve education, while not "health policy" in themselves, can have a substantial impact on long-term health outcomes. Similarly, improving the health of people with disabilities, mental health problems and long-term conditions can help them to find and keep employment, and improve their overall quality of life.

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