What Should We Keep an Eye On in 2026? A Good and Long Life Sets the Direction
The National Institute of Public Health is now publishing A Good and Long Life – Public Health in Focus 2026, a new annual publication that brings together the health challenges which, in the institute’s assessment, require particular attention from professionals and decision-makers.
A Good and Long Life is the first edition in a series that will, from now on, offer an up-to-date and easily accessible view of the state of public health each year.
The publication is based on the institute’s research expertise and presents, among other things, data from the national health profiles and other major surveys. The aim is to shed light on some of the most pressing issues – from young children to older adults.
“We present here our view of which health challenges we find most urgent to highlight. We hope the publication can help qualify political and professional discussions, and at the same time create awareness and debate,” says Director of the National Institute of Public Health, Morten Hulvej Rod.
Health inequality as a cross-cutting theme
This year’s theme is health inequality – an issue that cuts across all age groups in the form of clear differences between population groups.
“You cannot talk about public health without also talking about inequality. It permeates everything we work with that there are marked health differences between people, both socially and geographically. We have known this for years. But overall, the inequality has unfortunately not decreased,” says Morten Hulvej Rod.
The publication identifies three groups where the need for action is particularly great: children growing up in poverty, people with developmental disabilities, and socially vulnerable citizens.
Tool for preventive work
A Good and Long Life presents data covering the entire life course, and according to Morten Hulvej Rod, it outlines important health challenges that require both professional attention and political prioritisation.
The publication also provides examples from the institute’s ongoing research, including a number of research-based and preventive initiatives that the institute develops and tests in collaboration with municipalities, regions and civil-society actors. These include concrete experiences, examples and perspectives on how structural prevention can be strengthened.
According to Morten Hulvej Rod, the ambition is for A Good and Long Life to become a practical tool for decision-makers at all levels, not least in municipal work:
“We hope that the newly elected municipal councils will use the publication as an opportunity to ask: How are we actually doing? Are we doing enough to strengthen public health, and where do we need to do more? And one can already now look forward to the new data from the health profiles coming next year.”
New public health act on the way
The publication is released at a time when Denmark is facing a new Public Health Act, which is expected to have significant impact on preventive efforts in the coming years.
“The new Public Health Act is a major opportunity to strengthen public health. But if we are to make real progress, it requires the adoption of benchmarks or goals that can guide our efforts. This will help municipalities prioritise, and it will also point to areas where national legislation is needed. With A Good and Long Life, we begin the discussion about what we should strengthen or change in concrete terms. We highlight problems, but also a number of areas where there are positive developments to build on,” says Morten Hulvej Rod.
As mentioned, this is the first time the institute publishes this type of publication. If you have comments or feedback, we would be happy to hear from you at sif@si-folkesundhed.dk
Contact: Director Morten Hulvej Rod, phone: +45 6550 7700, email: rod@sdu.dk, National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark.