The video that I posted on Monday presented a global perspective on economic inequity and its relationship to health. Today, I want to offer a Canadian perspective. York University researcher Dr. Dennis Raphael has done extensive work on these issues. For years, he has been tirelessly researching and documenting the ways in which our living conditions and particularly our income shapes our health.
Most recently, Dr. Raphael has published a new study titled, Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts, which he summarizes in the following video:
The information that Dr. Raphael brings together in this document clearly illustrates the links between policies and health. It forcefully demonstrates that all of us need to engage in advocacy and policy work if we want to see living conditions that are conducive to supporting people's health. Being able to eat nutritious food, for instance, is a key determinant of good health, yet too many people living on low income do not earn enough to access healthy food. The Peterborough County-City Health Unit's report, Limited Incomes: A Recipe For Hunger published in August of 2012 effectively exemplifies this point.
The Nourish Committee is currently developing an advocacy program to raise awareness about how policies impact people's access to food. If advocacy is an issue that connects strongly with your interests, contact us at nourish@ywcapeterborough.
