On the state of the public health: Annual report of the Chief Medical Officer 2004
The Chief Medical Officer's Annual Report 2004 identifies major health challenges requiring immediate action, and describes progress in addressing issues featured in previous reports. The report highlights the need for tighter control on the movement of tobacco across international borders, as this seriously undermines attempts to reduce the prevalence of smoking. It also draws attention to the need to achieve faster compliance with patient safety alerts, and highlights the potential to improve the nation's health by influencing food purchasing in public bodies such as hospitals, school and prisons. Additionally, the report addresses the need to standardise care for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and also addresses the rising incidence of the congenital anomaly gastroschisis. Finally, the report describes progress on issues identified in previous reports. Considerable progress has been made in tackling two major threats to public health: second-hand smoke and obesity. There have also been important developments in infectious disease control. This year has also seen the launch of an action plan to combat tuberculosis and the development of a UK pandemic influenza contingency plan.
