Dennis,
Thank you so much for this! I cheered while reading it! While it exists only in our collective imaginations at the moment (sigh...), this is the message that I am taking forward to an advisory board connected to the new Public Health Agency that I volunteer with. This is what communities want from the policy makers and I want to be sure that the message is heard loud and clear.
Thanks again
lisa
Lisa Jensen
Manager of Partnerships
United Way of Halifax Region
[log in to unmask]
902-422-1501 ext 227
-----Original Message-----
From: Social Determinants of Health [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
Dennis Raphael
Sent: November 25, 2004 8:11 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [SDOH] Revised Press Release - Ontario Medical Officer of
Health
Almost 14% of Ontario's children are living in poverty and measures need to
be taken to reduce what has become an material deprivation "epidemic," the
province's chief medical officer said Wednesday.
"I am alarmed to report that almost one out of seven children in Ontario is
poor," Dr. Sheila Basrur said in her annual report, titled Increasing
Poverty, Increasing Disease and Misery. The report also warns that poverty
among children reflects poverty among their families.
Basrur said early deprivation associated with childhood poverty contribute
to increases in adult-onset diabetes and contribute to heart disease,
strokes, hypertension and some cancers.
"Fortunately, this epidemic can be reversed," Basrur said in a release.
Basrur stressed in the report that healthy, active public policy consisting
of sensible tax, housing, and income policy would improve the quality of
life for everyone in the province.
"We know that healthy public policy mean healthy lives," Basrur said.
"People who live in societies with thoughtful public policy feel better,
are less likely to develop diseases and enjoy a higher quality of life."
The report contains several recommendations for the Ontario government,
including a mass-media campaign to increase awareness of the benefits of
reducing poverty, providing housing and food security and reducing
exclusion and discrimination which is especially a problem among new
Canadians of colour.
Basrur also asked the government to provide regulated quality childcare and
use federal monies being made available for housing, similar to measures in
Quebec.
The reports also asks the government to give Ontarians better access to
information about poverty, exclusion, and health and illness by providing a
telephone service such as the Dial-a-Health Sociologist service.
Basrur also suggests Health Canada act to carry out health impact analyses
to consider the effects of recent public policy changes such as the
claw-back of the Child Benefit from families on social assistance by the
Ontario government.
.
The report recommends that public health units raise awareness of the
broader determinants of health consistent with Canada's perceived
leadership role in health promotion and population health.
Here are some recommendations aimed at reducing child and family poverty in
Ontario in the annual report of Ontario's chief medical officer:
A mass-media campaign to increase awareness of the benefits of reducing
poverty.
Providing food supplements targeted at children.
Better access to affordable housing and employment training for parents.
Phasing out excessively low social assistance rates and raiaing the minimum
wage.
Funding a national healthy public policy promotion agency.
Providing more opportunities for people to be econmically and socially
productive by enhancing policy development localy, provincially, and
nationally.
Ensuring young children have access to quality in day-care settings.
Decreasing the need for shelters and food banks by providing more economic
resources to families.
Increasing family friendly public policy.
Developing a corporate culture that supports healthy public policy and
avoids excessive profits and tax reductions to the wealthy.
Developing guidelines for family-family public policy.
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