Royal Society for Public Health Launches Landmark Film to Put Prevention Top of the Health Agenda

LONDON, October 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

In a unique communications partnership, the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), the world's longest-established public health body with over 6000 members, and ITN Productions have launched "Improve and Protect", a news and current affairs-style programme exploring some of the nation's major public health challenges and recent initiatives taken in the sector. The film premiered at RSPH's Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony in London on 22 October, following a warm welcome from RSPH Chief Executive Shirley Cramer. 

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     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151027/280848 )

Introduced by national newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky, "Improve and Protect" features a series of sponsored editorials with key industry leaders and university research centres as well as news-style reports and exclusive interviews. The aim of the programme is to heighten awareness among policy makers, politicians and the wider public, providing a unique platform to stimulate debate around the biggest threats to the public's health and how to combat them. From initiatives to reduce avoidable illnesses across the entire life course, to the importance of better infrastructure and the increasing role of the wider public health workforce, "Improve and Protect" investigates a wide range of measures which are being taken to improve health services and educate individuals in local communities and across the nation.

Shirley Cramer, Chief Executive, RSPH said: "We're hugely excited to be partnering with ITN Productions on this landmark communications project, which gives us a new platform to give public health the exposure it deserves. The media discourse around health in the UK has traditionally been dominated by the language of 'cure' and we need to move towards promoting the benefits of wellbeing and healthy lifestyles. If we are to save our struggling NHS we need to speak out loudly about the benefits of prevention. This film is an important step in shifting the debate about prevention, and we are looking forward to working with ITN Productions and our partners on this and future films."

Simon Shelley, Head of Industry News, ITN Productions also commented: "ITN Productions has thoroughly enjoyed its partnership with the Royal Society for Public Health, examining the need to educate and empower individuals to take responsibility for their own health. By bringing the sector's new initiatives and solutions to the screen, and telling the stories of the organisations and people behind them, we hope to spark new dialogue that could shape the future of public health."

To watch the full programme, please visit RSPH's site at http://www.rsph.org.uk/improveandprotect

Notes to editors: 

About the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) 

• An independent health education charity, dedicated to protecting and promoting the public's health and wellbeing;
• We are the world's longest-established public health body with over 6000 members drawn from the public health community both in the UK and internationally;
• Our operations include an Ofqual recognised awarding organisation, a training and development arm and health and wellbeing accreditation;
• We also produce a wide-variety of public health conferences; our publishing division includes the internationally renowned journal Public Health; and we are developing policy and campaigns to promote better health and wellbeing.
• For more information: http://www.rsph.org.uk; twitter: @R_S_P_H

About ITN Productions  

ITN Productions is ITN's bespoke production hub producing creative and commercially valuable content for the corporate, commercial, broadcast and digital sectors. Industry News forms part of this offering and is a communications tool for leading industry bodies and national associations produced in a broadcast news programme format, including interviews, news items and sponsored editorial profiles.

http://www.itnproductions.co.uk 

Press contacts

Ed Morrow
RSPH
Tel: +44(0)20-7265-7326 / +44(0)74-6492-5438
Email: emorrow@rsph.org.uk

Emilie Charron
ITN Productions
Tel: +44(0)207-430-4708
Email: emilie.charron@itn.co.uk