Improving the quality and provision of public services and information is a key Government priority.
For obesity, the Healthy Living Social Marketing Programme will focus on supporting parents and carers in their role as the primary influences of healthy eating habits in children. The programme was launched at a mass stakeholder event in December 2006 with public facing activity planned for early 2007.
New campaigns to motivate and support smokers to quit will be launched in the new year and we will be continuing the second-hand smoke education campaign in March 2007.
A new sexual health campaign, “Condom Essential Wear” was launched on 9 November 2006, targeting 18-24 year olds, and aiming to inform them about the prevalence and invisibility of sexually transmitted infections, and to reduce instances of teenage pregnancies. This is additional to our targeted HIV campaigns for gay men and African communities. The Department also works with the Department for Education and Skills on the “Want Respect? Use a Condom” and “RU Thinking” campaigns for young people and teenagers.
In addition, the Department is running a national hepatitis C awareness campaign for healthcare professionals and the public in support of the “Hepatitis C Action Plan for England”. Information about the prevention and control of hepatitis A and B has been provided to healthcare professionals and the public.