Jo PedenClinician

Biography

Professor Jo Peden is a Consultant in Public Health and International Health in the Policy and International Health Team at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Wales. She holds an Honorary Professorship from the University of Wolverhampton relating to her work on violence prevention, improving the health of women and children in prison, and evaluating complex system change. She previously worked for the UNHCR in Malaysia, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation in Rome, and as Deputy Director of Public Health Programmes for Public Health England South, leading on health inequalities. In 2019 she helped to set up the West Midlands Violence Prevention Partnership, which takes a public health approach to preventing violence. Her team's published work spans the cost of living crisis, child poverty, social capital, health inequalities, and the case for investment in healthy and affordable housing. She is publicly known for arguing that gender inequality and socio-economic disadvantage drive avoidable health inequalities in Wales, and for advocating system-wide policy action to address them.

References

1. 1.Professor Jo Peden – WHO Collaborating Centre staff directory — Current role, title, honorary professorship, prior roles at UNHCR, FAO and Public Health England South, and West Midlands Violence Prevention Partnership
2. 2.Research identifies key skills for public health leaders driving change for better outcomes – Public Health Wales — Full role title at WHO Collaborating Centre; press contact number for Public Health Wales
3. 3.Multi-sectoral policies may reduce health inequities – Public Health Wales — Role title (Consultant in Public Health for Policy, Research and International Development) and advocacy on health inequalities
4. 4.Gender inequality fuelling child poverty and health gaps across Wales – National Health Executive — Press quotes on gender inequality, financial wellbeing and health inequalities in Wales (August 2026)

Expertise

Cited on

• Health inequalities

Stated areas of expertise

• Health inequalities
• Gender inequality and health
• Violence prevention
• Socio-economic determinants of health
• International and global public health
• Health in justice settings

Notable achievements

• Helped set up the West Midlands Violence Prevention Partnership in 2019, taking a public health approach to preventing violence. Source ↗
• Co-led research with the University of Wolverhampton identifying four key skills for public health leaders driving systems change, published December 2023. Source ↗
• Led development of a Public Health Wales toolkit for public bodies to implement the Socio-Economic Duty to improve health outcomes for people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage. Source ↗
• Awarded Honorary Professorship from University of Wolverhampton for work on violence prevention and improving the health of women and children in prison. Source ↗

What they’ve said

• “We know that financial wellbeing drives better health and a prosperous economy, and that secure and fairly rewarded work that pays a living wage is good for our health. This report clearly demonstrates the need for joined up, system-wide action on gender inequalities to reduce health inequalities in communities across Wales, by providing good quality affordable childcare, social care and family support.”

  Consultant in Public Health for Public Health Wales · Health inequalities · 27 Aug 2026 · Tackling gender inequality could help reduce child poverty in Wales – report ↗

• “We know that financial wellbeing drives better health and a prosperous economy, and that secure and fairly rewarded work that pays a living wage is good for our health. This report clearly demonstrates the need for joined up, system-wide action on gender inequalities to reduce health inequalities in communities across Wales, by providing good quality affordable childcare, social care and family support.”

  Consultant in Public Health for Public Health Wales · Health inequalities · 27 Aug 2026 · Gender inequality fuelling child poverty and health gaps across Wales ↗

Source references

1. Tackling gender inequality could help reduce child poverty in Wales – reportnation.cymru · 27 Aug 2026
2. Gender inequality fuelling child poverty and health gaps across Walesnationalhealthexecutive.com · 27 Aug 2026

Contact & links

• Staff pagehttps://phwwhocc.co.uk/staff-directory/jo-peden/
• Press office phone0300 003 0277published here ↗
• LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/professor-jo-peden-024494150/

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.