WELSH Conservatives have called for urgent action to improve children’s health in Wales following a stark warning from paediatricians that Wales risks creating the “unhealthiest generation of children in decades”.

Analysis by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) shows a worrying deterioration across a range of child health indicators, including vaccination uptake, oral health, obesity, mental health and asthma.

The briefing provides a clear and comprehensive overview of children’s health across the four nations of the UK, examining progress against 12 key child health indicators, including infant mortality, mental health, obesity, immunisation and asthma.

RCPCH Wales analysis shows:

Vaccination coverage has fallen below recommended levels and remains a significant concern, with very few routine childhood vaccines now meeting the 95 per cent uptake target.

More than a quarter (27 per cent) of 5- to 6-year-olds in Wales had obvious tooth decay in 2024/25. Children living in the most deprived areas were nearly twice as likely to have tooth decay (37.6 per cent) as those living in the least deprived areas (19.8 per cent).

Over a quarter of 4- to 5-year-olds were found to be overweight or living with obesity. This is the highest prevalence recorded in Wales to date and the highest rate among all four UK nations.

An estimated 135,000 children and young people in Wales are living with a diagnosable mental health condition. Around one in six 8- to 10-year-olds, one in five 11- to 16-year-olds, and one in four 17- to 24-year-olds.

Asthma related hospital admissions among children aged 5 to 14 increased sharply in September 2024, with 110 admissions compared with 23 in August – a 378 per cent increase.

Natasha Asghar MS, Shadow Minister for Health and Social Care, said:

“These figures should be a wake-up call for the Welsh Government. Over the past hundred years we have seen significant growth in life expectancy through improvements in immunisation, modern medicine and sanitation, but these figures paint a disturbing trend.

“We cannot accept a situation where children in Wales are suffering poorer health outcomes while the gap between the healthiest and most deprived communities continues to widen.

“From rising childhood obesity and tooth decay to declining vaccination rates and growing mental health pressures, the evidence shows that too many children are not getting the healthy start in life they deserve.

“The Welsh Government must urgently consider the RCPCH’s recommendations and set out a clear, measurable plan to reverse these trends. Every child in Wales deserves the opportunity to grow up healthy.”

Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Rocio Cifuentes, said:

“The findings echo what children, and young people have consistently told me: that support often comes too late, that access to services such as mental health and dental care can be difficult, and that healthy choices are not always the easiest choices.

“The new Welsh Government must prioritise children’s health, listen to children’s voices, and deliver long-term action that gives every child a fair opportunity to live a healthy life.”