Ontario Needs New Conversation On Health

Ontario needs a new conversation about health, and very little of that conversation is about health care, says Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Arlene King.

This conversation has to have a clear understanding that the factors that influence health, and the ways through which we can improve health, lie for the most part outside of the health sector.

In her 2010 annual report to the legislative assembly, Dr. King says that good health starts in childhood, in our homes, our schools, our workplaces and our communities. Health care systems exist to help people after they get sick or injured and cannot be held solely responsible for improving the overall health of our population.

Dr. King calls for a comprehensive plan that is geared towards health promotion and chronic disease and injury prevention. She recommends:

• Applying a health lens to every program and policy
• Setting clear health goals and targets
• Settling on a finite set of health indicators
• Tearing down the impediments to collaboration between the municipal, health, education, social services and environment sectors
• Greater collaboration among the public health, primary care and acute care sectors
• Recognizing and rewarding the health achievements of both the health and non-health sectors.

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