The Role of the Public Health Agency of Canada

• About the Public Health Agency of Canada
• Physical Activity and the Centre for Health Promotion
• Pan Canadian Healthy Living Strategy
• The Population Health Approach
• The Federal Role in the Promotion of Physical Activity

About the Public Health Agency of Canada

Strengthening its ability to protect the health and safety of Canadians, the Government of Canada established a new Public Health Agency of Canada.

Focused on more effective efforts to prevent chronic diseases like obesity, cancer and heart disease, prevent injuries and respond to public health emergencies and infectious disease outbreaks, the Public Health Agency of Canada works closely with provinces and territories to keep Canadians healthy and help reduce pressures on the health-care system. 

The Agency is part of the health portfolio and is headed by the Chief Public Health Officer who reports to the Minister of Health.

This Active Living at Work website follows on the heels of other major initiatives undertaken by the federal government in partnership with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology to improve the physical activity levels of Canadians.

Led by the Healthy Living Unit, these initiatives include the launch in 1998 of Canada's Physical Activity Guide to Healthy, Active Living followed by Canada's Physical Activity Guide for Older Adults in 1999 and Canada's Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth in 2000.

Other federal initiatives related to physical activity in the workplace include:

• Network development through a partnership with the Canadian Council for Health and Active Living at Work;
• Knowledge development through the Health, Work and Wellness Institute and the Health Work and Wellness Conference;
• Awareness, recognition and education through the Healthy Workplace Award program in partnership with the National Quality Institute.

For more information, please see the Federal Role in the Promotion of Physical Activity.

Physical Activity and the Centre for Health Promotion

Responsibility for physical activity falls under the domain of the Centre for Health Promotion. 

A component of the Public Health Agency, the Centre implements policies and programs that enhance the conditions within which healthy development takes place.  

Through action founded on the principles of population and public health, the Centre addresses the determinants of health and facilitates successful movement through the life stages.  

In addition to physical activity, the Centre acts through programs addressing healthy child development, families, aging and lifestyles, public information and education, as well as issues related to aging and seniors.

The Healthy Living Unit

More specifically, the Healthy Living Unit has the lead responsibility within the Public Health Agency of Canada for delivering on the federal government's role in physical activity.  

The work of the Unit on physical activity is based on an approach to partnerships that is multi-sectoral, multi-level, and multi-disciplinary with the following goals:

• To encourage and assist all Canadians to be physically active by increasing their awareness and understanding about the benefits of physical activity and the range of opportunities to be physically active in daily life;
• To influence positive social and physical environments and opportunities that facilitate the integration of physical activity into daily life, and that are accessible to, and equitable for, all Canadians; and
• To establish partnerships with government and non-governmental agencies across levels and sectors, and encourage and support collaborative action and increased capacity to foster physical activity in Canada.

Pan Canadian Healthy Living Strategy

The Healthy Living Strategy is a federal/provincial/territorial initiative aimed at reducing non-communicable diseases by addressing their common risk factors and the underlying conditions in society that contribute to them.

The Strategy attempts to integrate efforts already underway in different sectors to address the social, physical, and economic environments that create health and provide individuals and populations with the resources to make healthy choices. 

People's health choices and practices are strongly influenced by the conditions of society and the environment where they live, learn, work and play: homes, schools, workplaces and community settings.  

The first areas of emphasis of the Strategy will focus on healthy eating and, physical activity and their relationship to healthy weights.

The Population Health Approach

The goals of a population health approach are to maintain and improve the health of the entire population, and to decrease inequities in health status among various population groups.

This approach focuses on the interrelated conditions or determinants that most influence health, and applies the evidence to suggest broad priority areas for action.

Inter-sectoral action is one of the key directions for improving the health status of the population adopted by the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Health in their landmark 1994 document, Strategies for Population Health Investing in the Health of Canadians (1994).

The need for inter-sectoral action recognizes that key factors which determine population health fall within the purview of many sectors in addition to health.

Only through action within and between sectors at the local, regional, provincial and national levels will it be possible to influence the social, economic, and environmental conditions that enable and support the health and well-being of Canadians.

Federal Role in the Promotion of Physical Activity

The federal government has a key role to play in several areas:

1. strategic leadership and policy development
2. knowledge development and information dissemination;
3. partnership-building; and
4. the general promotion of physical activity.

In keeping with the population health approach, emphasis is placed on the determinants of health within specific life stages and across the life span.

1 - Strategic Leadership and Policy Development

Addressing the determinants of physical activity in a coordinated and cost-effective way requires the Public Health Agency of Canada to play a leadership role with other federal departments and the governments of other countries, as well as a shared leadership role with provincial/territorial governments, national voluntary organizations, and the private sector.

This federal leadership role includes identifying emerging issues and establishing policies and plans which enable all Canadians to have access to equitable opportunities to be active.

To this end, it is recognized that additional support may be needed to address the systemic barriers to physical activity which are particularly apparent among Canadians with a disability, girls and women, older adults, and Aboriginal Peoples.

2 - Knowledge Development and Information Dissemination

Research, knowledge development and information synthesis are key elements of evidence-based planning and policy development.

As well, authoritative information must be provided to the general public and to professionals and government policy-makers in physical activity, health and other fields in order to enable informed choices.

This information will advise them of the recommended levels and types of physical activity to achieve health benefits and the many other benefits of physical activity for individuals, for society, and for the environment.

Ongoing monitoring and periodic evaluations are also necessary to assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of programs.

3 - Partnerships and Alliances

Federal policy places a major emphasis on working in collaboration with partners.  Social and physical environments affect the choices available to Canadians for integrating physical activity into daily life.

A number of disciplines/fields have an impact on the availability of opportunities, including fitness, recreation, and sport education, as well as urban planning, transportation, workplaces and health.

Action is also required to develop and implement strategies that increase awareness about the important contribution of physical activity in addressing issues in other fields, such as youth-at-risk, transportation and protection of the environment.

Collaborative partnerships are needed with the public, private and voluntary sectors in these fields to achieve common goals.

The federal government has a role in contributing financial assistance and strategic advice to national organizations which further health objectives.  Working in collaboration increases the critical mass for addressing national problems. Click here to see a list of our partners.

4 - Promoting and Communicating the Benefits of Physical Activity

The federal government has a role in communicating the important benefits of physical activity and the health risks of physical inactivity to Canadians, and working with provincial and territorial partners to foster consistent national messages.

Media campaigns promote awareness of issues, influence attitudes, reinforce individual choices and lend support to other strategies.

As well, celebrations and special events can be a cost-effective way of attracting corporate sector support in order to raise the profile of physical activity and to mobilize hundreds of communities to promote a variety of opportunities to be active.

Promotion, mass media awareness campaigns, and events are not sufficient in themselves to provide an ongoing supportive social environment for Canadians to be active.  They can, however, be a potent force if combined with complementary strategies which encourage supportive physical and social environments.