Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Rural Health
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Q. What do "rural" and "remote" mean?

A. Many people think that "rural" and "remote" refer only to low population densities and small settlements. Far from major cities, many of these communities have limited access to services and markets. Rural geography and demographics (e.g., economies, societies and cultures) vary considerably from east to west, north to south, as well as within regions. Some rely more on natural resources than others. They have different income levels, employment opportunities, histories and languages.

There is no single accepted standard of what "rural" means. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development considers that a region is "rural" if more than half the people there live in communities with a population density of fewer than 150 persons per square kilometre. Using this definition, 31.4% of Canadians lived in rural and remote regions of the country in 1996.

Q. Why is "rural" Canada important?

A. Rural Canada is closely linked to Canada's cultural identity and contributes to the quality of life enjoyed by all Canadians. People envision Canada as a source of clean safe water, wide open spaces for recreation and tourism, nutritious food for Canadians and the world, natural resources like lumber, minerals, fish products, and more. The health and vitality of rural Canada is important to all Canadians.

Q. Why are the health needs of rural Canadians different from Canadians living in urban areas?

A. Canada's rural environment and geography are major factors affecting the health of rural Canadians. Rural realities and health needs differ from those of urban areas. These needs may be particular to the environment (e.g., the need for education on tractor roll-over prevention), changing demographics (e.g., an increase in the seniors' population in some rural areas), a common health need present in a rural environment (e.g., the health status of First Nations' communities), or the need for health concerns to be expressed in a "rurally sensitive" way (e.g., obstetrical services that do not generate an excessive "travel burden" on rural women).

Q. What is the Office of Rural Health?

A. Health Canada established the Office of Rural Health in September 1998 to help reflect a rural perspective in departmental programs, policies, and in national health policy and health system renewal strategies.

Q. How is Health Canada responding to the health concerns of rural Canadians?

A. Health Canada has a long history of contributing through individual program and issue areas to the care and well being of Canadians in rural communities. These efforts are wide-ranging (e.g., children's programming, women's health, information technology, etc.) and findings will inform and support the efforts of the Office of Rural Health and vice versa.

Health Canada is addressing concerns expressed by rural Canadians related to "accessibility to health care" through the $50 million Innovations in Rural and Community Health Initiative. The Initiative, announced in the 1999 Budget, identifies four priority areas, including: rural and remote care; home and community care; access to and affordability of drugs; and integration of service delivery. Specifically, the rural and remote care component will:

• promote the integration and accessibility of a full range of health services in rural and remote areas, including primary and specialty care;
• explore ways to address workforce issues, including but not limited to gaps in the supply of health professionals; and
• explore system reforms to improve the delivery of health services in rural and remote areas.

Canadians living in all areas of the country, rural and urban alike, will benefit from action on the other three priority areas of the Innovations Initiative (i.e., home and community care, access to and affordability of drugs, and integration of service delivery).

Q. What is known about the health issues affecting rural Canadians?

A. Research is needed to strengthen national knowledge about the health issues affecting Canadians living in rural and remote parts of the country. In 1999, Health Canada provided support to the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) to host an invitational Rural Health Research Summit. The Summit was a unique opportunity to identify gaps in our understanding and to help establish a network of rural health researchers. The Summit resulted in a framework for rural health research which can be found on the UNBC website at www.unbc.ca/ruralhealth. National efforts to improve the health research of this country (e.g., the Canadian Institutes for Health Research) also need to reflect rural concerns. Development of the framework for research on rural health needs will contribute to this process.