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London, 11 November 2020. It is now shockingly clear that Health Equals Wealth. Business for Health (B4H) is being launched to promoteΒ  good business practice, innovation and investment to help the UK be healthier, and has the support of cross-party political leaders, third sector and the broader business community.

Health as we age

Economic recovery, jobs, growth and business prosperity depend on a healthy nation. The Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced the urgent need to address health inequalities and highlighted how our health as we age impacts our resilience.

Life expectancy

The recommendation for B4H to promote 5 extra years of healthy life expectancy while minimising health inequalities (β€˜HLE +5’) was put forward in Β The Health of the Nation Strategy published in February 2020, under the guidance of Lord Geoffrey Filkin, by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Longevity, chaired by Rt Hon Damian Green MP.

Longevity and Business for Health

Business helped formulate that strategy and highlighted the important role socially responsible employers, purchasers, investors and innovators can play in promoting better public health and resilience.

Funding Business for Health

Phoenix Group, Legal & General and AXA Health are among initial funders of B4H, Β and over 100 organisations have signed up to the Register of Interest. B4H, a non-profit CIC (Community Interest Company),Β  will developΒ  a Business Index as its first projectΒ  to measure and incentivise positive contributions by business to societal health, Β as part of wider plans to promote preventative health, share best practice and facilitate research for improved population health.Β  The working group to develop the Index will be cross-sectoral and will encourage smaller as well as larger businesses to be represented.

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Supporting a healthier nation

John Godfrey, Legal & General’s corporate affairs director and former Downing Street policy director chaired the Longevity APPG’s business workstream and is board chair and a founding director of the new organisation.Β  He comments: β€œIt is in businesses’ interests to support a healthier population. At its simplest, a healthier workforce is more productive – physical and mental health problems are expensive for employers. But for almost every sector, achieving better population health creates opportunities and drives economic activity.Β  This was true before the pandemic and has now been sadly demonstrated beyond doubt.”

Business for Health launches during Longevity Week

Business for Health launches during Longevity Week and has government support from Government.

Business for Health

Matt Hancock

Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock says: Β β€œI am delighted that Business for Health is being formed – as employers, investors and innovators, business will make vital contributions to reduce future pandemic risks through prevention, improve healthy life expectancy and build economic resilience in communities across our nation. If this pandemic has taught us anything it’s that our health and prosperity are completely interlinked. I look forward to working with them in the future.”

The Business for Health coalition

B4H is a coalition of socially responsible employers, purchasers, investors and innovators, and was formally registered on 28 September 2020 (company number 12907565). Its mission is: β€˜to enhance the health and economic resilience of the UK, catalysing and facilitating business contributions to reduce health inequalities and add five years to healthy life expectancy’.

B4H is supported with funding from Legal & General, Phoenix Group, AXA Health, UK Research & Innovation, Centre for Ageing Better and Health Foundation. The founding directors are John Godfrey and Tina Woods.

The Executive Board comprises:

  • Mary Bright, Head of Social Affairs, Phoenix Group
  • Andy McClure, Marketing & Proposition Director, AXA Health
  • George MacGinnis, Challenge Director, Healthy Ageing, UK Research and Innovation
  • Anna Dixon, Chief Executive, Centre for Ageing Better
  • John Godfrey, Corporate Affairs Director, Legal & General
  • Β Tina Woods, acting Chief Executive, Business for Health

B4H is seen as valuable by two related government initiatives – the UK Longevity Council and the Government’s Ageing Society Grand Challenge with its Β£300m investment fund to maximise business contributions to HLE+5.

The UK Longevity Council was set up to advise on how best to use innovations in technology, products and services to improve the lives of our ageing population and ensure that people across the UK enjoy an extra five years of healthy and independent living by 2035, whilst narrowing the gap between the experience of the richest and the poorest.

Bottom line investment in a healthier nation

UK Research and Innovation also works to support the goal of HLE+5 and has an Β£300m investment fund to do so, including Β£98 million specifically for healthy ageing. It too supports the foundation of the Business Coalition for a Healthier Nation.

Note

This news releaseΒ  and information was provided by BusinessForHealth.org

Singapore and business for health

Recently Singapore launched a ground breaking health initiative with its Apple watch collaboration. Read more about this exciting business for health initiative.

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Gisèle Wertheim Aymes

Gisèle Wertheim Aymes

Gisèle is the owner of the Longevity brand. She is a seasoned media professional and autodidactic. Her goal? Sharing the joy with others of living in good health, while living beyond 100, You can follow her @giselewaymes on Twitter and Instagram or read her Linked-In profile for full bio details.

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