Much of the ill health that blights lives across Wales is neither inevitable nor unavoidable. In many cases, it's predictable. In many cases, it is preventable. That is why it is so troubling that healthy life expectancy is falling and health inequalities are widening. When we talk about avoidable deaths, we're not talking about statistics on a page. We're talking about parents, partners, friends and neighbours whose lives could have been longer and healthier. We're talking about people spending years living with illness that could have been prevented, years that should have been spent working, caring for loved ones, pursuing opportunities or simply enjoying life.
We know that around 23 per cent of deaths are considered avoidable. We know that around 40 per cent of cancers could be prevented. And we know that without action, the number of people living with four or more long-term conditions could almost double by 2035. The question before us is not whether we can afford to act, it is whether we can afford not to. That is why this new Government is taking a different approach. Ensuring that people across Wales have the means, the opportunity and the support to live healthier lives is at the heart of the work in this new Government. Prevention is no longer something that sits at the margins of policy; it is at the centre of everything we do.
For the first time since devolution, Wales now has a Minister with specific responsibility for preventative health, which is a significant step forward and a clear statement of intent from the First Minister that preventing ill health is a priority. But this role extends far beyond the boundaries of the health service, because, as you mentioned, health does not begin in a hospital, a GP surgery or through a prescription. Health begins in the homes that people live in, the jobs that they do, the food they can afford, the schools their children attend and the communities they are part of. My responsibilities reflect this Government's understanding that improving health means tackling the factors that shape people's lives. It means creating healthier food systems. It means giving young people the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices. It means designing places that support active lives. It means reducing poverty, improving housing and creating the conditions for secure and rewarding work.
For too long, we've accepted a false economy in the way we manage and fund our health services. Previous Governments have prioritised responding to illness rather than preventing it. Too little has been invested in keeping people healthy, and then we have paid a far greater price when people become unwell, require treatment or are forced out of work. That approach is neither sustainable nor fair. We are determined to correct that imbalance by placing greater emphasis on prevention and by ensuring that policy making across Government addresses the social determinants of health, including housing, education, employment and poverty reduction. Because the greatest opportunity before us lies not simply in treating illness, but in preventing it from occurring in the first place.
The benefits are profound: better health, greater independence, stronger communities, reduced pressure on public services and a fairer Wales where a person's health is not determined by the circumstances of their birth. But achieving that requires more than just good intentions. It requires sustained commitment from across Government and across society. So, what does that mean in practice? Well, within health and care, we recognise the need to shift services toward prevention, earlier intervention, and care close to home, which is essential if our health and care services are to remain sustainable in the face of demographic change. As Members will know, the First Minister convened a primary care summit last week to build understanding and support for this shift towards community-based care, and I will continue to work closely with the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care to drive this forward.
But prevention does not stop at the NHS. We are working across Government on a comprehensive food strategy. Our aim is simple: to make healthy food easier to access, more affordable and better understood. That means improving food literacy, supporting local food production, and ensuring that every child leaves school with the knowledge and confidence to prepare healthy meals, because good health starts early. The experiences and opportunities available to children shape health outcomes for a lifetime, and that is why tackling poverty remains one of the key priorities of this Government.
We are expanding access to childcare, helping families with household costs, and creating new opportunities for parents to enter or to return to work. We know that good jobs are good for health. Secure employment, fair wages and opportunities to develop skills support both physical and mental well-being. That is why this Government is committed to building a stronger economy that delivers prosperity and opportunity in every part of Wales.
At the same time, we recognise that warm, safe and affordable homes are not a luxury; they're one of the foundations of good health. Yet too many people in Wales continue to live in homes that are cold, damp and expensive to heat. At a time when around a quarter of households in Wales experience fuel poverty, that is unacceptable. We are committed to reducing energy costs, improving the quality and energy efficiency of homes, protecting support for those facing acute fuel poverty, and reviewing the Warm Homes programme to ensure it delivers the support that people need, because no-one should have to choose between heating their home and protecting their health.
We also recognise the vital role that culture, sport and the natural environment play in helping people live healthy and fulfilling lives. Participation in sport, creativity, culture and nature-based activities can improve mental well-being, reduce stress, strengthen social connections and support healthier lifestyles. These are not optional extras, as we've heard from the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Sport. They are part of the fabric of healthy communities. Taken together, these examples demonstrate that prevention is not a single programme or a single intervention; it's a whole Government commitment to fairness. It's about creating the conditions that allow people to live healthier lives, wherever they live and whatever their circumstances.
Alongside this work, we will develop a new public health strategy and framework for Wales, informed by a comprehensive review of current and future public health challenges. We will also introduce targeted plans for children and older people, and roll out preventative programmes that help children become more active, including expanding access to initiatives such as the Daily Mile and school swimming within our 100-day programme.
But Government cannot do this alone. Communities understand better than anyone else the barriers they face and the changes that are needed, and there is good work happening across Cardiff that must be built on. We must listen to people's experiences, learn from their expertise, and work alongside them to design solutions. That's why partnership matters.
Through Health Equity Wales, we're already working alongside local authorities such as Cardiff on this, and we will continue to put the internationally recognised Marmot principles into practice, strengthening partnerships, listening to communities, sharing learning and driving the long-term cultural and systematic changes needed to reduce health inequalities, because ultimately, as you eloquently mentioned, health inequalities are not inevitable. They are a result of choices, systems and circumstances, and if they've been created, then they can be changed. And that is the work we are committed to delivering.