Health Improvement
The Health Improvement team works to improve the public's health and wellbeing through all stages of the life course and in all settings by encouraging and enabling healthy lifestyle choices.
Health Improvement also looks at reducing inequalities that prevent equal access to healthy choices, such as poverty and lack of educational opportunities. Protecting the vulnerable and ensuring inclusivity for all age groups and cultural backgrounds are cross-cutting themes in all our work.
Central to our work is prevention, early intervention and prioritising initiatives which will achieve change (improvement in lifestyle or reduction in risk factors) for the greatest numbers.
We do this by supporting the introduction of evidence-based interventions across all government departments and partner organisations. Through this collaborative work, we aim to achieve health interventions that are considerate of all the wider determinants of health – the factors that determine the health and wellbeing of an individual – including living and work conditions, lifestyle habits, influence, relationships, social support, age, sex, culture, religion and politics.
Our work is informed by data and evidence, which will include Joint Strategic Needs Assessments. These will be developed into strategies, programmes or interventions to improve the health and wellbeing of our population. View our most recent Health Improvement strategies.
Health Improvement Programmes
Our Health Improvement Programmes focus on specific areas of health interventions, based on information from our Joint Strategic Needs Assessments and strategies. We are currently running the following programmes:
Creating a smoke free Isle of Man - Smoking prevalence on the Isle of Man is around 12%, and is the leading cause of premature death and preventable illness in the UK. The Quit4You Stop Smoking Service aims to provide support to those who want to quit smoking. Health Improvement is also developing policies for creating smoke free spaces on the Isle of Man and legislation surrounding the use of vape.
Smile of Mann Supervised Toothbrushing – Smile of Mann is a nursery and pre-school based supervised toothbrushing programme, the purpose of which is to help towards improving the oral health of young children on the Isle of Man; tackling the issue of tooth decay with a preventative approach.
Workplace Wellbeing – The Workplace Wellbeing Group is a collaborative working group comprised of public, private, and third party sectors, working together to improve health and wellbeing through workplace initiatives. It centres around providing workplaces with the tools needed to implement successful programmes and policies to deal with issues such as domestic abuse, substance abuse, sleep, mental health and more.
Your Health and Wellbeing
With the development of its early interventions and ongoing programmes, Health Improvement also publishes guidance on key areas within health and wellbeing. Explore the pages below to find useful information and self-help ideas on the following topics:
Getting help
Alcohol – Know your Limits - We have a complex relationship with alcohol. Some people choose not to drink, and for many people alcohol is an accepted and pleasurable part of life. This page outlines the recommended units of alcohol and when you know you may have had too much.
Drugs – Similarly to alcohol the misuse of drugs, both legal and illegal can damage health in a variety of ways. This page explains what drugs are, why we use them and where you can go to get help if you think you have a problem.
Drug Driving - Driving while unfit through drugs, whether illegal, prescribed or over-the-counter medicines, is an offence that carries the same penalties as drink driving. This page outlines how certain types of drugs may impair your driving to help you assess your fitness to drive.
Domestic Abuse - 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men endure domestic violence in their lifetime. This page explains where you can get help if you are a victim and how to help someone you think might be in trouble.
Suicide Prevention – From 2006 - 2021, there were 156 deaths by suicide in the Isle of Man. Do you know someone who might be at risk? This page explains what you can do to help prevent suicide and what support is available locally.
Self-harm - Anyone is at risk of self-harming, not just young people, but it is often the result of another problem. This page explains what self-harm is and how to help someone you think might be self-harming.
Feel better
Diet - This page will help you learn about healthier food options to enable you to make healthier choices and ensure you get the vitamins and minerals you need, and to help you maintain a healthy weight.
Weight Management – Maintaining a healthy weight can help you prevent weight-related diseases and lower your risk of certain health problems. This page provides some useful tips on how to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Get active – Physical activity reduces the risk of illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and depression. This page talks about the health benefits of physical activity and the recommended levels of activity for each age group and ability.
Quit4You Stop Smoking Service – This page tells you about the Isle of Man’s free stop smoking service and how you can sign up if you want to quit smoking.
Oral Health – Poor oral health can cause physical and psychological problems in children but is preventable. This page talks about our strategy for oral health on the Isle of Man and also provides resources for practising good oral hygiene.
Reviewed April 2022
