What builds good health? An introduction to the building blocks of health

Health is our most precious asset. Good health and wellbeing enable us to live happy, fulfilling lives and free us up to achieve our potential, supporting positive social and economic outcomes for individuals and society.

But we don’t all have the same opportunities to live healthy lives. Right now, in parts of the UK, some people are dying years earlier than they should. This isn’t inevitable. There is much we can do to reduce these unfair differences by improving the things that underpin our health.

Many aspects of our lives impact our health and how long we live. These include our jobs and homes, our access to education, public transport and safe green spaces with clean air, and whether we experience poverty or discrimination.

These things are often referred to as the ‘wider determinants of health’, and they are all essential building blocks of our health.

Building a healthy society is like constructing a sturdy building. To succeed, we need all the right blocks in place. The guide is a free resource available to download for anyone who wants to better understand – or explain – how the building blocks shape our health.