Investors have enormous influence on people’s health through companies they invest in, yet health remains a blind spot for many investors. This is contributing to poor health, impeding business performance, and exposing investors to risk. The Long-term Investors in People’s Health Initiative, led by ShareAction, The Health Foundation and Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation, will harness the huge potential of the investment sector to build healthier, fairer societies.
The new initiative, launched today, 19 October 2022, will give investors the tools to improve health outcomes for workers, consumers, and communities, by sharing best practice and creating opportunities to collaborate on corporate engagement. Investors are asked to commit to embed health into their policies and practices and use their influence to accelerate impact throughout the investment sector.
Health inequalities are widening, and the cost-of-living crisis is creating urgent challenges for people’s physical and mental health which already costs 15% of global GDP. In Britain, fewer than one in 10 men, and only 16 percent of women, are likely to be in good health by the time they retire. Covid-19 has exacerbated existing health inequalities, with mortality rates up to four times higher in the most deprived areas of the UK.
Besides DMT, signatories from across the UK, America, Japan, and the Netherlands include the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation and The Health Foundation as well as a number of investment managers.
We’re pleased to be working with fellow health-focused trusts and foundations – as well as members of the wider investment community -on this important and exciting initiative and encourage other trusts and foundations who share our vision and mission to support this important work.
Susan Kay, Chief Executive, Dunhill Medical Trust
In Britain, fewer than one in 10 men, and only 16 percent of women, are likely to be in good health by the time they retire. Covid-19 has exacerbated existing health inequalities, with mortality rates up to four times higher in the most deprived areas of the UK