Strengthening the Social Determinants of Health:
The Toronto Charter for a Healthy Canada

is now available at:

http://www.socialjustice.org/conference/english.htm

--------------------------------------------
Press Release follows:

                Federal health spending must include housing and childcare,
                        declare 450 health professionals



Toronto,   February   10,  2003  -  Leading  health  policy  experts,  community
representatives  and  health  researchers  from  across Canada have ratified the
Toronto  Charter  for  a  Healthy Canada. Citing mounting evidence that the root
sources  of  health and the causes of illness are social and economic, they urge
funding  for  social  housing  and childcare and the creation of a Task Force to
oversee Canadian progress on population health.





"It must be time to provide safe, affordable housing and quality childcare to
Canadian families" says the Charter's author, Dr. Dennis Raphael. "No longer can
we expect spending on illness care to bring us better health; it is time to get
our basics right," Dr. Raphael concludes, joining forces with more than 400
others to declare the need for national housing and childcare programs.

In response to the new Health Accord, the group decries the ongoing failure of
both levels of government to recognize the social and economic causes of ill
health. "Today, we know much more clearly that good health is connected to
social policy spending. Unfortunately, the Health Accord ignores this reality
and it fails to ensure that Canadians are healthy enough to lower their needs
for medical attention" says Dr. Raphael. "On the bright side, we want the new
national health council to include a task force that will focus on these
population health issues" Dr. Raphael says optimistically.

If Prime Minister Chretien is to deliver on his promise for social justice, it
is time to put federal spending and incentives for the provinces to develop
comprehensive housing and childcare systems.

The Toronto Charter recommends that Canada's federal and provincial/territorial
governments immediately address the sources of health and the root causes of
illness by matching the $1.5 billion agreed to in the Health Accord for the
Diagnostic/Medical Equipment Fund and allocating this amount towards two
essential determinants of health for children and families: 1) affordable, safe
housing; and 2) a universal system of high quality educational childcare.

The signatories further address the need for the federal government to establish
a Social Determinants of Health Task Force to consider the full body of
conference findings and work to address the issues raised at this conference.
The Task Force would operate to identify and advocate for policies by all levels
of government to support population health.  The federal and provincial
governments would respond to these recommendations in a formal manner through
annual reports on the status of these social determinants of health.

The Charter is included with this press release.
                                     - 30 -
Citation:

 Raphael, D. & Curry-Stevens, A. (2003). Strengthening the Social Determinants
of Health: The Toronto Charter for a Healthy Canada.  Toronto: School of Health
Policy and Management, York University and the Centre for Social Justice.

For further information, please contact:

    Dr. Dennis Raphael
    School of Health Policy and Management
    Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies
    416-736-2100, ext 2213
    Home: 416-465-7455
    Ann Curry-Stevens
    Communications Coordinator
    Centre for Social Justice
    416-691-9454