New Areas in Public Health

In September 2004, the Office of the Voluntary Sector (OVS) became part of the newly-established Public Health Agency of Canada. This change provided an opportunity for the OVS to consider the role and contribution of the voluntary sector to public health issues, in terms of both policy and program activities. For your information, we present an evolving list of these new areas of interest.

Climate Change and Health Impacts

Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) have been paying special attention to the effects that climate change and extreme weather events will have on Canadians. The OVS has joined in these research efforts, with a particular focus on the ways in which the Voluntary Sector makes a significant contribution, developing and delivering emergency preparedness programs that are designed to build community resiliency and adaptation to the impact of disasters.

In the November 2005 issue of Health Canada's Health Policy Research Bulletin, OVS contributed an article dealing with Health Emergency Management.  Written in collaboration with David Hutton, Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Public Health Agency of Canada and John Lindsay, Brandon University, the working title for this article is: "Extreme Weather Events: Facing the Challenges in Health Emergency Management".

OVS has developed an expanded version of the original Health Canada chart "Climate Change and Health Impacts" , illustrating the health impacts of the changing climate, which provides selected examples of Voluntary Sector roles in responding to these impacts.

For more information about the Climate Change and Health Impacts, refer to the Health Canada website Climate Change and Healthand the Government of Canada website Climate Change.

Emergency Preparedness and Response

With their knowledge, networks, experience and expertise, health-related national voluntary organizations (NVOs) are well positioned to assist governments in addressing emerging issues in two key areas of public health: emergency preparedness and response (EPR), and the health impacts of climate change. An enhanced voluntary sector role in EPR planning and coordination has been formalized under the federal/provincial/territorial National Framework for Health Emergency Management, which recognizes the voluntary sector as an important player in an “all-hazards” emergency management approach to disaster preparedness and response, particularly at the community level.

If voluntary organizations are to become more visible and truly effective partners in coordinated strategies for emergency management, we need to better understand the contributions they can make and the challenges they face. OVS commissioned a national planning and capacity building paper entitled: From Response to Resilience: Understanding Voluntary Organizations in Health Emergency Management , through the Centre for Voluntary Sector Research and Development (CVSRD) and the School of Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University. [ Abridged version of report available here ]. The paper explores the role of voluntary organizations in emergencies in Canada, with an emphasis on health issues, by reviewing existing literature, analyzing case studies of recent emergencies in North America and conducting interviews with staff of voluntary organizations. Research gaps and lessons learned were identified, with suggestions of how governments and the voluntary sector can help communities to shift their thinking and capacities from response to resilience.

WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH)

The WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health was launched in March 2005 to address the problem of growing inequities in health status within and between countries. Over a three year period, the Commission aims to lever policy change by compiling evidence on the science and action on the social determinants of health, widening societal debate on the topic and proposing global and national policies for action.

The Commission's main goals include helping to build a sustainable global movement for action on health equity and social determinants, linking governments, international organizations, research institutions, civil society and communities. To read more about Canada's Response to WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health, click here.

A discussion forum was held on March 23, 2007 with approximately 50 stakeholders from a variety of sectors, including health, literacy, Aboriginal affairs, crime prevention, etc. The objective of the discussion was to share insights and experiences, and explore new ideas on effective ways for civil society and governments to improve the health of Canadians and reduce health inequalities/inequities through collaborative action on social determinants. What We Have Heard is a summary of participants' feedback on what needs to be done to advance action on social determinants of health in Canada.

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