A new report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, released this week, paints a grim picture of child health across the UK. Analysing 12 globally recognised indicators of child health—including infant mortality rates, oral health, obesity, vaccination rates, mental health prevalence, and asthma rates—experts concluded that child health outcomes have stagnated across all metrics. This means UK children are likely among the unhealthiest in western Europe.
Stark Inequalities Across the Country
Perhaps more alarming is the significant inequality across the nation. The report found that rates of infant mortality and obesity are more than twice as high in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived. As Susan Lee notes, 'We are one of the richest nations on earth yet some of our most vulnerable children are suffering with appalling health outcomes.'
Every parent wants a better life for their children, but these figures show a real risk that some kids today will experience poorer health than earlier generations. This is not the fault of the children themselves—they cannot influence the social factors affecting their parents or the environment they grow up in.
Systemic Failures and External Pressures
The decline in health visitors and school nurses—whose role was to support families in making healthy choices—has been dramatic. Health services are under immense financial strain, and purveyors of ultra-processed food continue to target children relentlessly. Ironically, younger generations make better choices when left to themselves: smoking rates among 11 to 25-year-olds are at an all-time low.
'But that's not enough,' Lee argues. 'We need a government which focuses on health because everything else—the state of the economy, national prosperity, community wellbeing—flows from that.'
A Call for Bold Action
Lee describes the situation as both a moral and economic emergency. 'The new government must be bold in taking action. We are failing our kids. The question now isn't whether we can afford to invest in children's health—it's whether we can afford not to.'
The report underscores the urgent need for systemic change to address these deep-rooted inequalities and improve the health of the nation's children.
