The precept that prevention is better than cure continues to grow in relevance. Indeed, as populations become progressively affected by multi-morbidity and avoidable long-term disorders, both the urgency and the need to focus on prevention of illness is increasing. Prevention is about helping people stay healthy, happy and independent for as long as possible. It means stopping problems from arising in the first place; focusing on keeping people healthy, not just treating them when they become ill. Indeed, prevention is not merely the absence of illness or infirmity, it is the possession of a set of personal resources that need nurturing and development to ensure good mental and physical health. In addition, prevention cannot be solved by the health and social care system alone, as many aspects influencing good health lie outside of the health and social care sector’s control. Awareness of and commitment to health equity must be embedded within healthcare provision in order for prevention to be successful across society.

This programme in Preventative Health and Health Equity aims to train leaders in health and social care to effectively manage and lead innovation in practice within their organisations. This training will equip you with the tools and knowledge to plan, develop, and evaluate a shared and inclusive vision for your organisation, drawing on the latest research and development in preventative health, equity, and effective leadership theory. In addition, you will have the opportunity to design research, gather data, and apply your own findings within your workplace to enact positive change. Through workshops, lectures, and supported assessments, you will be empowered to develop a collaborative culture within your organisation which builds capacity of the collective workforce to effectively deliver the aspirations of “A Healthier Nation”.

This programme is the first to be offered under the Bangor University lead ALPHAcademy (Applied Learning for Preventative Health Academy) which is part of the Welsh Government Intensive Learning Academy (ILA) programme. This initiative has seen the development of hubs at Welsh Universities to offer research and education to support the professional capacity and system leadership which is fit for the challenges for health and social care systems for today and the future. The ALPHAcademy will focus on accelerating the promotion and adoption of preventative health into practice across an integrated healthcare ecosystem (e.g., health and social care, third sector, housing, education and life science industries) and within a bilingual context. It will develop a network of informed, dynamic leaders equipped to drive change to address health and linked social challenges.