Poverty and Health in Canada: Current Evidence and Policy Responses
Faculty of Health, School Of Health Policy and Management

Expanded Course Description:                                                                                
The incidence of poverty in Canada has profound implications for the health of Canadians.  This course will consider evidence related to the incidence of poverty in Canada and elsewhere, the mechanisms by which poverty threatens the health of both the poor and not poor, and various public policy responses to the problem of poverty. Emphasis is on the role public policy plays in Canada and other industrialized nations in creating, maintaining, and potentially reducing poverty rates.

Course Objectives: The course offers students the opportunity to learn about:
- Various ways of conceptualizing the concept of poverty;
-  The incidence and depth of poverty in Canada and other industrialized nations;
-  The current state of knowledge on how poverty influences health;
-  The political, economic, and social forces shaping poverty in Canada; and
-  Policy implications of the current state of knowledge.