The HSE Health and Wellbeing annual report for 2023 highlights our strategic achievements and ongoing efforts to promote community health and reduce health inequalities across Ireland. Aligned with the principles of Sláintecare reform, we are committed to moving from an illness-focused model to one that prioritises prevention, early intervention, and self-management of chronic disease.

In targeting health inequalities, the evidence points to a clustering of behavioural risk factors of tobacco use, alcohol use, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity as well as physiological risk factors in areas of deprivation. People living in deprived areas are at much greater risk of developing multiple chronic diseases, thus creating greater demands on health services and dying younger. Through Sláintecare Healthy Communities, we continue to focus on delivering targeted interventions to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups within society and those most at risk of developing a chronic disease. Investment in prevention and early intervention has been integral to embedding behaviour change within routine care for all healthcare professionals through the Making Every Contact Count (MECC) programme, for example. 

Digital health technologies have played a crucial role in delivering precise interventions and enhancing accessibility to healthcare services. Initiatives like the QuitManager patient information system and online referral systems have streamlined processes and referrals. We remain committed to providing clear, accurate, and accessible health information through various platforms and media channels. Our continued investment in large-scale campaigns and informative websites ensures that the public remains informed and engaged in health and wellbeing initiatives. These include QUIT, MyChild.ie, AskAboutAlcohol.ie, MyOptions.ie, Man2Man. ie, Sexualwellbeing.ie and Healthpromotion.ie.

Section 2: health and wellbeing programmes p.23

• Tobacco Free Ireland Programme p.25
• Mental Health and Wellbeing and Alcohol Programmes p.29 

P.31 AskAboutAlcohol is the HSE’s information campaign on alcohol and alcohol harm. The alcohol content on the HSE website performed steadily in 2023. There was a tenfold increase in completions of the self-assessment tool, which provides individual feedback on people’s level of risk from alcohol use. A total of 31,648 people completed the tool, with a similar level of increase on completions of the online drinks calculator, with 17,015 completions in 2023. There were close to 1 million video views on Snapchat across a number of topics, with content promoting the self-assessment tool performing the best. In 2023, there were 3,100 contacts to the HSE Drug and Alcohol Helpline where alcohol was discussed; this is an increase of 689 alcohol-related contacts in comparison to 2022. 

P.33 Prevention resources for schools - To support the new Junior Cycle SPHE (Social, Personal and Health Education) curriculum and create a continuum of learning, new resources are in development that include topics on alcohol and drugs. In 2022 and 2023, Making Healthier Choices (MHC) 1 and MHC 2 were made available online. MHC 3 is currently in development and will be published in 2024. In 2023, the HSE Alcohol Programme was awarded €100,000 over three years from the Drugs Policy Unit in the Department of Health to evaluate the Know the Score schoolbased programme. Know the Score is the first national evidence-informed resource on alcohol and drugs for Senior Cycle students jointly developed by the HSE, Department of Education, and the Drug and Alcohol Task Forces. The resource is aimed at engaging young people in exploring and considering a wide range of topics related to the risks associated with alcohol and drugs. A research team, led by Prof. Catherine Comiskey at Trinity College Dublin, was awarded the contract to undertake an evaluation of Know the Score, with contracts signed in Q4 2023. The overall aim of the project is to complete an evaluation of Know the Score and therefore inform the development of strategies for effective implementation and scale-up of school-based prevention programmes and resources into the future. The evaluation will commence in Q1 2024, following the formal establishment of a steering group comprising key stakeholders from the HSE, Department of Education, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD), and Drug and Alcohol Task Forces.