Senedd elections 2026: Call for parties to back ‘Wellness Wales’ manifesto

Environmental health experts from throughout Wales have called for the next Senedd to reduce health inequalities, strengthen safeguards for consumers, and ensure that there is a sustainable environmental health community to prevent avoidable illnesses and protect the public.

The call comes in ‘Wellness Wales’, a manifesto developed in advance of the forthcoming Senedd elections by Welsh members of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).

CIEH is inviting Welsh political parties to support the health of the nation, by committing to back the policies included in the report.

These include:

• Improving housing standards by enforcing housing regulations and investing in energy efficiency
• Tackling environmental inequalities
• Making sure all organisations selling food have had their standards checked before commencing trade
• Supporting a level 6 Apprenticeship in Environmental Health in Wales.

Environmental health protects what matters most to everyone: the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat.

Mark Elliott, CIEH President, said:

"The Chief Medical Officer for Wales has been clear: prevention is fundamental to improving health and reducing inequalities. Environmental health professionals deliver that prevention every day, protecting people through safe housing, food safety and healthy environments.

“We want to continue our track record working with the next Welsh Government to strengthen prevention and secure a healthier, more resilient Wales for current and future generations."

Read the CIEH Senedd Manifesto - ‘Wellness Wales’ - here: https://www.cieh.org/policy/senedd-manifesto/