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B.C. Team Charter - Population & Public BranchPurpose of Our Team Key Partners Types of Products and Services We Provide Community Partners
Key Results
Our Values Clients First Using a Population Health Approach to Promote HealthHealth Canada is committed to the improvement of the well-being of Canadians through health promotion and illness prevention. One way Health Canada is working to achieve this goal is through the creation of federal funding programs as part of its Promotion of Population Health Business Line. These programs provide funding, based on specific criteria, to community-based non-profit organizations for the purpose of increasing the capacity of individuals and communities to maintain and improve their health. The PPHB B.C. team is responsible for administering nine of these Funding Programs. The following pages describe each of these Funding Programs, their target populations, expected outcomes, major activities and how they have made a difference to the residents of B.C. The Population Health Approach A unifying principle of Population Health funding programs is to strengthen the capacity of the voluntary sector to use a population health approach in enhancing the health and well-being of individuals and communities. This section explores what is a population health approach and how does it make a difference to the health of Canadians. In 1994, the population health approach was officially endorsed by the federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Health. In January 1997, the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Advisory Committee on Population Health (ACPH) defined population health as follows: Population health refers to the health of a population as measured by health status indicators and as influenced by social, economic and physical environments, personal health practices, individual capacity and coping skills, human biology, early childhood development, and health services.1 Health Canada defines the population health approach as an approach to health that aims to improve the health of the entire population and to reduce health inequities among population groups. In order to reach these objectives, it looks at and acts upon the broad range of factors and conditions that have a strong influence on our health.2 These factors and conditions are known as determinants of health. For more information on the 12 determinants of health, refer to the Health Canada website.3 Ingredients of a Population Health Approach What are the ingredients of a population health approach and how do community organizations put them into action? 1. Focus on the Health of Populations - assist population groups who experience poorer health due to such structural factors as poverty, lack of education, discrimination or isolation. 2. Address the Determinants of Health and their Interactions - identify those factors which negatively influence the health of certain population groups and work with the community to address them. 3. Base Decisions on Evidence - in seeking to understand health issues and develop effective interventions, community organizations are encouraged to gather evidence from such sources as demographic data, research findings, government reports, project evaluations, and key stakeholders. 4. Increase Upstream Investments -communities are encouraged to focus on the root causes of health issues through activities addressing health protection, illness prevention, and health promotion. 5. Apply Multiple Strategies - to be effective, interventions are often required on many levels: individual, family, organization, community and public policy. 6. Collaborate Across Sectors and Levels - improving the health of population groups requires collaboration from different sectors to address health determinants such as poverty and discrimination: Government (federal, provincial, municipal) voluntary and non-profit organizations, other public sectors such as health authorities and school districts and private businesses. 1 Towards a Healthy Future, Second Report on the Health of Canadians, 1999. Prepared by the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Advisory Committee on Population Health. 2 www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/phdd/approach/index.html 3 www.www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/phdd/approach/.html
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Last Updated: 2003-05-16 |