Not surprisingly, there was NO reference of the SDOH in today's Globe and
Mail story on the Heart and Stroke Report. Why did H and S bother?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060606.HHEART06/TPStory/?query=picard
---------------------- Forwarded by Dennis Raphael/Atkinson on 06/06/2006
07:28 AM ---------------------------
Dennis Raphael
06/05/2006 10:48 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
cc:
Subject: Contest! Find the SDOH Reference!
New Contest! Find the reference to SDOH buried in this release! :-)
-----------------------------------------------
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2006/05/c9675.html
HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION OF CANADA
Attention News/Health Editors:
Tipping the Scales of Progress: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
releases new data and recommendations on tobacco and obesity/disease
prevention
OTTAWA, June 5 /CNW Telbec/ - The Heart and Stroke Foundation today
released new projections on tobacco use and obesity in Canada, along with
policy recommendations to reduce heart disease and stroke aimed at
governments. The report is called Tipping the Scales of Progress: Heart
Disease and Stroke in Canada 2006.
<<
Key highlights of the report include:
- an overall reduction of 53% in age standardized cardiovascular
mortality (1979-2003)
- new projections on future smoking and obesity rates - some trends
will
hold, others will not
- significant gaps and inadequacies in Canadian health data
- alarming increases in overweight and obesity, particularly among
children
- significant declines in smoking rates, placing Canada as a world
leader
in tobacco control
- much higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk among lower income and
First Nations populations
"We've certainly made substantial progress in the fight against heart
disease and stroke, including risk factors like tobacco consumption, but
winning the fight does not mean winning the war - we cannot let our guard
down," says Dr. Andreas Wielgosz, a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
(HSFC) Board member and editor of the report. "Cardiovascular disease
continues to be the leading cause of death in Canada, and places an
enormous
burden on individuals, families, and the health care system."
The report makes specific Heart&Stroke policy recommendations in three
key
areas: tobacco control, obesity and disease prevention, and strengthening
the
health evidence base.
"It shows how far we've come in the 50 years since the HSFC was
founded,
but also reminds us how much work there is left to do to improve the health
of
Canadians," says Sally Brown, CEO of the HSFC
While the Foundation has previously released statistical reports, this
is
the first edition that combines data and projections with policy
recommendations for governments.
"We felt it was really important to close the loop - to provide this
information to decision makers, and make recommendations on how to use it
and
actions we can take to improve our chances against heart disease, stroke
and
other illnesses," says Dr. Wielgosz.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recommends that:
Tobacco Control
Governments in Canada continue to develop, implement and
enforcecomprehensive tobacco control strategies, including:
- comprehensive smoking bans in all workplaces and public places;
- increased taxation on tobacco products.
- prohibition of tobacco product "point of sale" advertising and
promotion.
- elimination of deceptive labeling e.g., "light" and "mild".
Obesity and Chronic Disease Prevention
SCHOOLS: Governments and school boards:
- require one hour per day of structured physical activity for
elementary
and secondary school students.
- remove unhealthy or "junk" food in school-site vending machines.
- improve healthy food choices in schools, including cafeterias.
TAX INCENTIVES: Governments:
- remove sales taxes from restaurant foods that are 'healthy'
- remove sales taxes from 'healthy' food products such as single
servings
of bottled water, pre-packaged salads and fruit trays in retail
stores.
- tax 'unhealthy' foods, but only in combination with tax incentives.
- remove sales taxes from sports and recreation equipment, such as
bicycles, skates etc.
- provide tax breaks to individuals for the purchase of public transit
passes.
- treat transit passes provided by companies to their employees as a
non-
taxable benefit.
- provide tax credits/breaks for enhancing physical activity such as
the
purchase of gym memberships, fitness classes etc.
CHRONIC DISEASE PREVENTION: The federal government:
- implement and adequately fund a coordinated strategy to address
common
chronic disease risk factors.
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH: Governments:
- address socioeconomic factors, such as poverty, and other
determinants
of health that place communities at high risk for cardiovascular
disease.
- allocate at least 7% of transportation-related infrastructure funds
toward the development of community infrastructure that promotes the
use of active modes of transportation e.g., bicycle trails/paths,
walking trails/paths and sidewalks.
- ensure that social infrastructure that supports physical activity
e.g., parks and community and recreation centers are included in the
gas tax transfer program.
- enhance investments in public transit and infrastructure that promote
physical activity.
- encourage mixed use developments that enable people to walk or bike
to
a variety of shops and services in their neighbourhoods.
STRENGTHENING THE EVIDENCE-BASE: The federal government should:
- develop a comprehensive, long-term non-communicable diseases
surveillance system that includes cardiovascular diseases.
- repeat the upcoming Canadian health measures survey at regular
intervals to provide trend data based on physical measures.
- work with the Foundation and the Canadian Institute for Health
Information (CIHI) to develop a national cardiac arrest registry
- invest in a Canadian longitudinal, lifelong cohort study, which
includes a birth cohort and an aging cohort.
- reduce the time lag from collection to reporting of economic burden
of
illness data to a maximum of two years; break down economic burden
cost
data by specific CVD subcategories and by major cardiovascular risk
factors; refine economic burden costing methods in order to keep
"unattributable" costs low.
- lead in the development of enhanced surveillance of primary
cardiovascular care and hospitalized care that can track individuals
across inter-provincial jurisdictions, making such data available on
a routine basis, in collaboration with the Canadian Institute for
Health Information (CIHI) and the provinces.
>>
"There is a lot we can do in critical areas, like protecting the health
of our children and working with communities in which the burden of heart
disease and stroke, and related diseases, is heavier," says Dr. Wielgosz.
"We've developed this list of recommendations to prod decision makers to
act
now, so we can preserve the health gains we've made and ward off the
problems
that lie ahead."
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada acknowledges the support of
Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Statistics Canada, and
the
Canadian Institute for Health Information, in the production of this
report.
The policy recommendations noted above are solely those of the Heart and
Stroke Foundation of Canada, and should not be attributed to these
agencies.
The full report is available at www.heartandstroke.ca
50 Years of Making a Difference! Since 1956, the Heart and Stroke
Foundation of Canada has led the way to better health for Canadians through
research, advocacy, and health promotion, investing over $1.2 billion
dollars
in research and health information programs. www.heartandstroke.ca
For further information: or to book an interview, please contact:
Jane-Diane Fraser, (613) 569-4361, ext 273, jfraser@
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