Although these are good goals to have, they can be difficult to achieve, particularly for those who experience obstacles due to systemic barriers that make it difficult to live healthier lives. It’s not enough to be provided with health tips, we should also have opportunities for health and wellness readily accessible. For example, to eat healthy, we need access to healthy food, enough money to buy it, and ample time to prepare it. To be active, we need resources like money, time, energy, and a safe environment to exercise.

Differing circumstances in each of our lives means that our health isn’t entirely up to us. In fact, approximately 75% of our health is determined by other factors. The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) are a group of social, economic, and environmental factors that impact our place in the world, and our health status.

The Health Impacts of Being a Woman

Gender is a SDOH  and a major influencer of overall health. Women, who make up over half of our population in Canada, are at greater risk of infection and disease, violence and abuse, and stigma and discrimination, which negatively impact physical and mental health and well-being. We have International Women’s Day in March and Women’s History Month in October to celebrate the achievements of women, but also to raise awareness of the gaps and inequities that exist. Only 7% of our federal healthcare dollars go to women’s health, and women’s health research is greatly underfunded. 

Health is a human right — women and all genders should have the opportunity to reach their highest health potential. In order for women to have control over their health, there are many inter-sectional and inter-connected factors that come into play. All genders deserve the fundamentals, like safe and affordable housing, access to healthy food and health services, and steady and reliable income.

To move toward gender equity in health, we must remove obstacles that hinder women from achieving good health. When we promote gender equality and women’s rights, we are, by consequence, helping to improve health outcomes for women.

Accelerating Action on Gender Equality

This year, the theme of International Women’s Day is Accelerate Action. Our Foundation supports various initiatives that accelerate action for gender equality. We are currently funding the seed2STEM summer research program for Indigenous Youth. In 2024, we sponsored 4 Indigenous young women who interned at the BCCDC, learning valuable skills to use in a career field that employs disproportionately fewer women and Indigenous people.

We are supporting the work of innovative and accomplished women like Drs Natalie Prystajecky and Alexis Crabtree, who, along with their teams, are testing wastewater for trends in unregulated drugs, like fentanyl, to see if it can be used to enhance our response to the toxic drug poisoning crisis.

We fund programs created by leaders in public health like Dr Sofia Bartlett, who founded the Test, Link, Call, program to advance Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infection (STBBI) treatment for equity-deserving populations, and Dr Sarah Henderson, who is hoping to prevent further heat-related deaths by studying the indoor temperatures in homes of susceptible populations, like those living in poverty, older adults, and those who are precariously housed.

We are also proud to employ some of the most talented and dedicated women, on our team and as Board members, who show passion and dedication each day, and help make public health more accessible and equitable for everyone in our province.

How can we all help accelerate action for gender equality? Here are some ideas:

• challenge gender stereotypes, discrimination and bias
• celebrate women’s achievements
• maintain an inclusive mindset
• call out gendered actions or assumptions
• attend the IWD: Lead with Confidence & #AccelerateAction webinar
• attend the International Women’s Day March in your area

We urge you to act, in your own unique and special way, to improve the lives of women and girls, and all genders, not just on International Women’s Day, but year-round. Through our actions, we can create a healthier, safer, more equitable world for women.

The post Women’s Health is Public Health: Advancing Equity appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.

Race

Racism is an idea created by humans that creates a hierarchy of value based on Whiteness. Anti-Black racism has been brought to the forefront by the persistent murders of Black men and women, and the history of Black lives being undervalued is extensive. This history, along with policies, institutions, legal norms, among other factors, creates deeply rooted structural racism. Indigenous peoples in Canada disproportionately experience poverty, homelessness, lack of access to rights, and have poorer health outcomes. We still have the Indian Act — a federal law created in 1876 and largely unchanged that perpetuates paternalism, colonialism, and racism — another example of structural racism.

“Indigenous and racialized peoples generally experience higher rates of poverty, precarious and under employment, discrimination and systemic disadvantages within housing, education, and public health systems. Directly and indirectly, racism harms health and causes premature death.”

National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health, “Let’s Talk Racism and Health Equity”

In Canada, the findings of the unmarked graves of children across the country  over the last few years have begun to shine much-needed light on our dark history of residential schools — settings of abuse and intentional assimilation, where thousands died from malnourishment or disease. We may never know the true numbers or immense scope of this tragedy.

This historical and ongoing colonization, control, and oppression of Indigenous Peoples has created a pervasive lack of trust in government and related institutions, including public health. It has created ongoing health and socioeconomic disparities, poorer health outcomes, and extensive inequities.

With COVID-19, these inequities have only been further exacerbated. The pandemic more adversely affected people with lower incomes, and across North America, COVID-19 has disproportionately affected more racially diverse neighbourhoods.

By not collecting racial data for COVID-19 patients, Canada has largely ignored the relationship between race and health, and how structural and systemic discrimination impacts access to care, making it difficult to respond and to assess health status across populations. In countries where data is collected, evidence shows that Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups were more likely to die from COVID-19 than the general population. Across the healthcare system, there is an unequal pattern of care based on race. In order to support health equity and a socially just healthcare system, we have to collect and examine this data.

Whether it’s at a systemic level, discrimination associated with race and epidemics, or through interpersonal attacks and direct violence, racism is impacting the health of our communities.

The Overdose Crisis

The intersection between the toxic drug poisoning crisis and COVID-19 has led to a significant increase in overdose deaths. Since it was first declared an emergency, over 16,000 people have died from toxic drugs in BC. Why? In part, due to stigma that leads people to use drugs alone. Underlying this is social injustice. Harmful laws and bad drug policies target people who use drugs and keep them in a cycle of criminalization, poverty, and discrimination. Especially now, when the overdose crisis is in its’ 8^th year as a public health emergency, we need to advocate for equity and social justice.

2SLGBTQ+ Rights

June is Pride Month because in June 1969, a three-day uprising (the Stonewall Riots) in New York City launched the gay rights movement. Yet 2SLGBTQ+ people still experience discrimination and poorer health outcomes. Conversion therapy, or sexual orientation and gender identity and expression change efforts (SOGIECE), is still happening. We’re slowly moving the dial forward (the Canadian government has amended the criminal code to  prohibit causing another person to undergo conversion ‘therapy’, regardless of age or consent) but the negative health consequences for people who have experienced this remain largely unaddressed. The views that heteronormativity and binary gender are the norm,  remain harmfully pervasive in our world.

When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.

Audre Lorde

These are just a few examples of how social justice and public health must be aligned to protect our communities. There are multiple forces that intersect and shape inequities; the SDOH do not occur in a vacuum. We must consider the complexities of interacting conditions in order to change systems, structures, and policies, and create a truly just world.

What we see in the world around us right now does not reflect a socially just view. We need to change the reflection. We are trying to make that change by creating a campaign to address the inequities that were only heightened during the pandemic for people already made vulnerable by systemic barriers to and determinants of health, such as poverty, criminalization, and colonialism. You can support this important work by donating to Your Health, Our Commitment.

The post The Importance of Social Justice to Public Health appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.

• Social Determinants of Health
• Health equity
• Health promotion
• Prevention
• Social justice

And if you’re not quite old enough yet to vote, now is the time to read, learn, understand, and discuss the issues so you’re prepared to use your vote in the future. Being active in your community at a young age promotes life-long civic participation.


Your vote is your voice, and your voice can empower your community and create positive health outcomes for all British Columbians. Individual actions have a ripple effect and create a wave of positive population health outcomes.

By using your vote, you can become a health ambassador in your community.
By using your vote, you can stand up for those who may not have the same opportunities.
By using your vote, you can contribute to a healthier, safer, and more equitable future for all.

The post Why Voting is Good for Your Health and Our Collective Health appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.

But, we still have work to do. Because we can change the tide of today’s crises if we change our thinking about health, where health begins, and what health means.

One way we can do this is by thinking, and acting, upstream.

Upstream has become a key analogy for how we need to think about health. An analogy that encourages us to take action to prevent illness and injury, protect people, promote environments that foster good health, and importantly, to address social injustice, inequities, and the determinants of health.

In our current system, we’re battling against the stream — we treat illness, we fix injuries, we commit resources to problems once they exist. That’s important, and we can’t stop that, but it’s also exhausting. Imagine if we stopped struggling against the current. It’s not complicated or novel; why then do we insist on putting all our effort at the end instead of also at the beginning?

The social determinants of health are critical to upstream thinking. And so is equity. Did you know that most of our health is created by non-medical factors, such as living conditions, income, and gender?

Inequities create conditions in which achieving good health becomes challenging, and indicators of health are poorer. It’s problematic when we only talk about healthy lifestyles, but don’t address the social and environmental factors where a person lives, works, and plays.

We all care about health. We all want to be safe. To achieve that, we must address the factors that influence our health and safety, such as income, education, the environment, social justice, and more. Medical solutions, disease control, behaviour change — these are all imperative for a healthy society. But they aren’t enough. They alone will not create a healthy society. The only way to truly have a healthy world is by addressing the conditions around us.

Upstream action addresses those circumstances.
A simple and widely understood example is early childhood development. When a child is nurtured with the things needed to grow, learn, and thrive, that child matures into a healthy adult. Optimizing a child’s development between 0-8 years old is critical to protecting them later in life. Adolescence is also an important developmental stage where behaviours are established that impact long-term health outcomes and early-life interventions can promote better quality of life. Promoting positive well-being for youth leads to healthier adulthood, and approaches are required that emphasize positive health promotion and strengthening well-being, not merely addressing deficits or illness.

Another is housing. Consider the ‘housing first model’ to address homelessness. This model focuses on getting people housed first, not waiting until other issues are solved (employment, for example) before finding housing. It’s a pretty basic premise: get people in safe and secure housing, where they can then focus on dealing with their other needs, e.g. mental health and substance use. Removing the barrier of housing insecurity and instability lifts people up, reduces the inequality gap, addresses inequities, lessens the burden on healthcare, and gives people a chance to thrive.

Another example is universal basic income. A hot button topic, but the principle of which is to help boost everyone up to a level from which they can make a difference to their own lives and take care of themselves and their families. It’s a social safety net with an emphasis on equity.

Safer supply, or provision of pharmaceutical alternatives to the poisoned unregulated drug supply, is another example whereby a solution is provided ‘upstream’, that prevents overdoses and death, brings people into wrap-around services that can address other issues, mitigates use and costs of emergency and extensive healthcare services, and strengthens community well-being, safety, and equity.

These are just a few examples of upstream actions.

When we think and act upstream, we create a healthier and safer world. Small or big, upstream solutions must become the way of our future. It’s time to start thinking about health in a less traditional way; it’s time for different sectors to work together to create solutions that address inequalities across the social gradient and life course, and ultimately to create a healthy and equitable world.

It’s time to agree that social injustice is a disease, making too many people sick.

In order to create a true ‘health care’ system, it’s time to focus on upstream actions.

The post Upstream 101: Decoding Public Health appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.

As we kick off a new fiscal year, and implement year two of our three-year strategic plan, we’re excited about the opportunities ahead. One of these opportunities is continuing to educate and raise awareness about public health, and why it is extremely relevant to you, your family, and your community. 

Canadian Public Health Week was held earlier this month. This annual recognition, which was also declared for the first time in BC in 2023, provides the opportunity to showcase the work and to acknowledge all the professionals who get up every day, especially during difficult times, to put public health first.

Though raising awareness is embedded in our work every day, we use this area of our website to focus on and explain public and population health. One of the post series, which we call Decoding Public Health, is our space to raise awareness, educate, help break down concepts, simplify what can sometimes be a jargon-filled discipline, and get you excited about public health.

But, what is public health anyway? And why do we differentiate between public health and population health?

One simple way to answer that is just to say that public health is the ‘work’ and population health is the ‘outcome.’ In other words, population health is the level at which we hope to see impact from the functions or actions of public health.

Public health functions include health protection, promotion, and prevention; preparedness and response; and surveillance and monitoring. These functions contribute to the public health sector and are distinct from our publicly-funded healthcare system in Canada. However, though distinct, the two systems do work in synergy, with public health focused on groups, communities, and populations, while healthcare primarily focuses on individuals. Both are clearly vital to society, but unfortunately with most investment going to the latter, we must continue to demonstrate why public health matters.  

When we talk about population health, we’re also including the social determinants of health (SDOH) because there will never be a healthy population if we don’t consider all factors that contribute to health. One of the most fundamental and critical concepts in public health is equity. The work of public health is to address and find solutions for inequities that create systemic barriers for many in achieving good population health outcomes. For example, did you know that one’s gender is a major influencer of one’s health? Or that social isolation is a significant barrier that can lead to poorer health? We try to remove or lower those barriers.

One vital discipline within public health is health promotion. While there are a number of different models, one tenet of health promotion is that our place in the world influences our health. From the level of our beliefs, to public policy, to the environments we experience throughout our life stages, health is multi-factorial, intersectional, and not always about choice. Good health lives in our physical, mental, social, ecological, cultural, and spiritual environment.

When we think about the work of public health, prevention is probably the most easily understood mechanism through which we achieve improved health. Though prevention is a component, upstream is more nuanced. When we work ‘upstream,’ we’re taking action at the root cause of an issue, before it becomes an issue. Early childhood development, income, and housing are examples, but there are many more key examples. We encourage you to think of some to raise in conversations with your friends and family.

Social justice is a philosophy that everyone deserves equal rights and opportunities and is a fundamental prerequisite for health. This is paramount to public health. Because public health is mental health. Harm reduction and advancing solutions towards ending the Toxic Drug Poisoning Crisis is public health. Public health is gender rights. Public health is anti-Indigenous racism, Truth, and Reconciliation. Public health is the climate crisis. And so on. 

Public health matters more than ever, and it’s not just about pandemics. Many of our posted resources and Decoding Public Health series were written pre-pandemic, but their content remains true and stronger than ever as we transition into this new world that has been through immense turmoil. We must keep our focus on how critical it is for health overall and we cannot get lost in the noise that the pandemic seems to be leaving it’s in wake. We must understand the need for, and invest in, public health and we must work with our current leaders and experts, and train future generations to think differently about health.

While our Foundation works with our core partners across the health authorities and in government, we work for you, and for the health of everyone in BC. We strive for the healthy human and do that through partnerships and collaborations. Our three-year strategic plan includes an aspirational vision — a healthier, safer, and more equitable future for all. Our five fundamental guiding principles ensure we’re grounding all our work in what matters to us, and to you.

The post Why Public Health Matters appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.

It was on April 14, 2016, when Dr Perry Kendall, BC’s Provincial Health Officer at the time, declared a public health emergency in response to a significant increase in drug-related overdoses and deaths.

Yet, here we are, nearly eight years later, and sadly, things have only gotten worse. As of the end of January 2024, close to 14,000 British Columbians have lost their lives to toxic unregulated drugs.

2023 was a record-breaking year in lives lost to unregulated drugs in our province: an average of 6.9 deaths per day, 5% more than the previous high of 2,383 deaths recorded in 2022. Last year saw more than 2,500 lives lost to unregulated drugs, with highly toxic fentanyl being the most detected contaminant by far.

Now is a good time to talk about stigma again.

Why? Because stigma kills. And because we as individuals and a society have the power to end it.

What is stigma?

Stigma, as defined by the Government of Canada, is “negative attitudes, beliefs, or behaviours about or towards a group of people because of their situation in life. It includes discrimination, prejudice, judgment, and stereotypes, which can isolate people who use drugs.”

What part does stigma play in the toxic drug poisoning crisis?

Commonly used words like “addict,” “drug user,” or “junkie,” for example, are words you’ve probably heard to describe or refer to a person who uses substances; yet these words shine a negative light on people by stirring up inaccurate images that dehumanize them. Over time, this can lead to a common belief that people who use drugs are unworthy.

Demeaning words can also cause shame that leads to hiding substance use from loved ones and can prevent people from seeking out help or accessing healthcare.

What about decriminalization?

To help address the toxic drug poisoning crisis, the federal government approved an exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act for BC to allow for the removal of criminal penalties for personal possession of small amounts of specific illicit substances by individuals over 18. This exemption is a pilot program effective until January 31, 2026.

One of the key aims of decriminalization of people who use substances is to diminish the stigma that frequently drives individuals to use substances alone, increasing the risk of fatal overdose.

However, societal stigma remains pervasive.

This can be seen in legislation restricting public consumption of illegal substances, which further drives stigma and undermines the intention of decriminalization. Whether this legislation comes into force will be determined by BC’s Supreme Court who have issued a temporary injunction due to the irreparable harm this act could cause to people at risk from unregulated toxic drugs.

What can we do about stigma?

We all have a role to play in eliminating stigma and helping to end the toxic drug poisoning crisis. Here are seven ways you can act and help save lives starting today:

Change the way you view people who use substances. With negative images and portrayals of people who use substances often circulating in the news, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that all these people are unhoused or lack employment. Keep in mind that there’s a chance that, whether you’re aware of it or not, there are people in your life who use substances.

Pay attention to the words you use to talk about people who use substances. Words matter. Changing the way you think about people who use substances can help change the way you talk about them. And remember, others, including young people and children, are listening. Normalize the use of non-stigmatizing language at home, at work, and socially.

Choose to use language that enhances personhood. Personhood conveys details regarding an individual’s inclusion in society, fostering a feeling of personal worth, belonging, and being an integral part of the human family. It forms the basis for ethical considerations and legal rights, emphasizing the inherent value and dignity of each unique human being. Simply put, choose people-first language that encourages empathy, such as “people who uses substances” rather than “substance users.”

Learn how harm reduction saves lives. Harm reduction is rooted in respect and dignity. It starts with compassion, and eliminating the stigma of substance use is the first step. One harm reduction intervention is prescribed safer supply. Learn how we are supporting this important work.

Continue to educate yourself (and others). Stay up-to-date on unregulated drug deaths in BC and critical initiatives like decriminalization, and other factors such as legislation that can perpetuate stigma. When you hear others spreading misinformation about people who use substances, take the opportunity to educate and point to the facts. We update statistics regularly here  and will continue to provide information and educational resources.

Cultivate a deeper sense of empathy. Taking time to learn, understand, and talk about substance use will help expand empathy for people who use substances. Growing in empathy will only enhance all the other ways to eliminate stigma mentioned above. When we care, we act. And when we act, we foster change.

Donate to the Together We Act campaign. The toxic drug poisoning crisis is a public health emergency. Through our Together We Act campaign, we are working with our donors to play an active role in preventing further deaths. Read more about this important campaign and donate to support impactful projects.

Toxic drugs will continue to kill members of our community every day until we take collective action in the ways we can to prevent more deaths. One of the immediate actions we can take is to eliminate stigma.

Your actions can and will make a difference. Together we can end this public health emergency, reduce harm, and save lives.

The post Help End the Toxic Drug Poisoning Crisis: 7 Ways to Eliminate Stigma appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.

Our story today shares these goals.

Through the pandemic, mental health has worsened for many, and those experiencing poorer mental health before the pandemic may have experienced an exacerbation. This includes loneliness and isolation. For children, youth, and young adults, this has been a particularly difficult period of time. We know that poorer mental health, especially for our younger demographic, is a significant societal impact of the pandemic, and this must be an area that we collectively focus our efforts.

We will continue to play a role in addressing the lasting impacts of the pandemic by supporting pandemic recovery, learning, and addressing the societal consequences.

In BC, we have insights from the Surveys on Population Experiences, Action, and Knowledge (SPEAK) into the experiences of British Columbians in relation to mental health. Evidence shows an increase in worsening mental health during the pandemic. Young adults reported disruptions to mental health and difficulty accessing supports, and households with children reported worsening mental health and negative impacts on children’s stress and social connections. This, and other great research, is helping to set the stage for new interventions.

We must focus on prevention. This requires explicit attention so that we can address issues upstream, and tackle the social determinants of health, such as income, discrimination, childhood experiences, and social isolation, that can be drivers of poorer mental health outcomes.

In July 2021, a report was released on the impacts of the pandemic on young adults. This evidence-based report was the first to summarize how the pandemic impacted young adults across Canada, at that time. That report, just over one year into the pandemic, already showed that the measures to control the pandemic were having significant impacts on many areas of young adults’ lives. They were experiencing disruptions to jobs, training, education, and health services, as well as a substantial increase in mental health concerns. Young adulthood is a critical phase of learning and growth and is associated with the development of skills and competencies, a sense of identity, autonomy, supportive relationships, and financial independence. It is success in these areas that promotes lifelong wellbeing.

From the research so far, some actions include:

• addressing challenges to economic wellbeing and opportunities;
• improving mental health, well-being, and social connectedness;
• encouraging health promoting behaviours;
• and promoting young adults’ voices and engagement.

This is not a complete list as more work is required. And it’s not just data; if you look around at people in your life and listen to stories from others, mental health challenges and experiences of isolation and loneliness are present everywhere, everyday. Recognizing this and advocating for change is public health. Being responsive to, and for, people is public health.

To that end, we recently supported and participated in a forum to bring together mental health researchers, advocates, community groups, and individuals with lived and living experience, including youth. The aim of this forum was to create a space to share research, evidence, and experiences in order to synthesize the current state and determine how to provide solutions for children and youth in BC. Events like this are incredibly important. We are proud to fund and be a part of this, to discuss ongoing supports coming out of it, and to consider what’s next, as we work with all our partners.

It is rewarding that we can work with our donors to fund important work like the SPEAK surveys and then see evidence translate into tangible actions like this forum. This helps us learn how best to support responsive solutions and interventions.

Witnessing the devastating impacts of mental health and substance use issues creates an intersection across our work to reduce harms and address threats to the health of our community through our advocacy and fundraising, to help with the toxic drug poisoning crisis. This emergency is seven years long so far, with no end in sight until we all stand up and take action. Action we have the evidence for—we can prevent our children and youth from this crisis, now.

Talk to your friends and family, share supports, learn and understand the issues, and advocate for solutions.

Make connections. Sometimes the simple act of reaching out to someone who is struggling can start a ripple effect of change.

Share evidence-based information. It is very important that mis/dis-information be combatted as it can be especially damaging for anyone experiencing vulnerabilities.

Be present, be aware, and be kind. Sometimes we do not know what someone is experiencing.

Tell your story—this can be to one person, or to many. Sharing stories creates connection and shared experiences. This is key to reducing stigma, creating safe spaces, and saving lives.

Support us as we take action on ways to help. Donate today.

While we are a funder, we also play a role in raising awareness of public health and the need for a well-funded, proactive, and equitable system. We act as a bridge between experts and publics to ensure that we raise up the voices of those we are serving, including youth.

By bringing together philanthropy, funding, partnerships, engagement, and advocacy we aim to advance our vision of a healthier, safer, more equitable future for all. It is our goal to bring this to the mental health space, supporting specific pandemic recovery solutions, collaborations, activities that focus on prevention and address root causes, and raising awareness so that we as a society can come together to take care of our younger generations.

By focusing your attention on your friends, family, community, and society overall, you can also create positive change in the world around you. The environment in which we all work, live, and play is critical to our health, and our mental health matters more than ever right now. This is our Activate Health mission, a call for you to be a health ambassador in your community.

This is our story. We will keep writing this story for children, youth, and everyone.

The post Our Story: Driving Positive Change for the Mental Well-being of Children and Youth appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.

Canadian Public Health Week was held earlier this month, and for the first time it was also declared in British Columbia. The theme was #PublicHealthMatters, and it provided the opportunity to showcase the work and to acknowledge all the professionals who get up every day, especially during difficult times, to put public health first.

Though raising awareness is embedded in our work every day, there are two key campaigns we use to focus on public and population health: our Decoding Public Health series; and our Activate Health campaign.

The Decoding Public Health series allows us to raise awareness, educate, help break down concepts, simplify what can sometimes be a jargon-filled discipline, and get you excited about public health.

Activate Health is our call to action, our battle cry, for you to be an ambassador in your community. We call on you to raise awareness about how our individual actions can have a population-level impact and that by making choices or taking steps in our lives, we can create a ripple effect that can have positive outcomes on the health of the population—AKA population health.

But, what is public health anyway? And why do we differentiate between public health and population health?

One simple way to answer that is just to say that public health is the ‘work’ and population health is the ‘outcome.’ In other words, population health is the level at which we hope to see impact from the functions or actions of public health.

Public health functions include health protection, promotion, and prevention; preparedness and response; and surveillance and monitoring. These functions contribute to the public health sector and are distinct from our publicly-funded healthcare system in Canada. However, though distinct, the two systems do work in synergy, with public health focused on groups, communities, and populations, while healthcare primarily focuses on individuals. Both are clearly vital to society, but unfortunately with most investment going to the latter, we must continue to demonstrate why #PublicHealthMatters.

When we talk about population health, we’re also including the social determinants of health (SDOH) because there will never be a healthy population if we don’t consider all factors that contribute to health. One of the most fundamental and critical concepts in public health is equity. The work of public health is to address and find solutions for inequities that create systemic barriers for many in achieving good population health outcomes. For example, did you know that one’s gender is a major influencer of one’s health? Or that social isolation is a significant barrier that can lead to poorer health? We try to remove or lower those barriers.

One vital discipline within public health is health promotion. While there are a number of different models, one tenet of health promotion is that our place in the world influences our health. From the level of our beliefs, to public policy, to the environments we experience throughout our life stages, health is multi-factorial, intersectional, and not always about choice. Good health lives in our physical, mental, social, ecological, cultural, and spiritual environment.

When we think about the work of public health, prevention is probably the most easily understood mechanism through which we achieve improved health. Though prevention is a component, upstream is more nuanced. When we work ‘upstream,’ we’re taking action at the root cause of an issue, before it becomes an issue. Early childhood development, income, and housing are examples, but there are many more key examples. We encourage you to think of some to raise in conversations with your friends and family.

Social justice is a philosophy that everyone deserves equal rights and opportunities and is a fundamental prerequisite for health. This is paramount to public health. Because public health is mental health. Harm reduction and advancing solutions towards ending the Toxic Drug Poisoning Crisis is public health. Public health is gender rights. Public health is anti-Indigenous racism, truth, and reconciliation. Public health is the climate crisis. And so on. 

#PublicHealthMatters more than ever, and it’s not just about pandemics. Much of our Decoding Public Health series was written pre-pandemic, but it remains true and stronger than ever as we transition into this new world that has been through immense turmoil. We must keep our focus on how critical it is for health overall and we cannot get lost in the noise that the pandemic seems to be leaving it’s in wake. We must understand the need for, and invest in, public health and we must work with our current leaders and experts, and train future generations to think differently about health.

While our Foundation works with our core partners across the health authorities and in government, we work for you, and for the health of everyone in BC. We strive for the healthy human and do that through partnerships and collaborations. Our three-year strategic plan includes a refreshed, aspirational vision—a healthier, safer, and more equitable future for all. Our five fundamental guiding principles ensure we’re grounding all our work in what matters to us, and to you.

We call on you to keep caring about public health. To think beyond pandemics, to see the broad scope. To ultimately understand the immense impact made when we focus our efforts, time, resources, and passion toward advancing population health every day. We encourage you to keep learning, following, and engaging with us. Get started by reading about how you can be a health ambassador this year. Drop a comment on our social media and tell us what you want to learn about! Because #PublicHealthMatters to us, and to you. This is Activate Health.

The post Activate Health: Why #PublicHealthMatters appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.

As a public health organization, we are interested in improving public health for all, but especially for those who experience health inequities, including, but not limited to, Black Canadians.

Generally, health disparities can result from a combination of social determinants such as systemic racism, poverty, lack of access to health services, and more. Since the Black population in Canada could increase over the coming years, addressing health disparities is even more essential for reducing inequities, and ultimately creating a more inclusive, equitable, just, and healthy society. 

You have the power to help improve health equity for Black Canadians. Here are some ways you can Activate Health during Black History Month (and beyond!):

Learn

Whether it’s going online to educate yourself on Black history in Canada, reading books by Black Canadian authors, or informing yourself on Black Canadians who have helped shape our country, learn what you can, when you can.

One way to be a great health ambassador is to commit to lifelong learning—it’s good for your own health, as well as the health of others. Dedicating some time to learning can help create a more equitable and inclusive society, ultimately improving health equity for Black people.

Listen

While it’s great to go online to learn about Black peoples’ experiences, it’s also important to get out in the community and listen. Whether it’s attending speeches or protests, or listening to live music or poetry readings, you will learn a lot by immersing yourself in Black culture.

By experiencing Black culture in a live setting, hearing their voices in person and being amongst others in the community can help deepen our knowledge and understanding in a different way than when just reading and learning online alone.

Celebrate

In your own community, consider ways you can uplift the accomplishments of Black people. Visit museums that highlight the contributions of Black individuals. Host events that showcase the work of Black artists, musicians, authors, and Black culture. Use your social media platforms to elevate Black people, stories, voices, and culture. These are just a few examples.

Celebrating the accomplishments and contributions of Black people and communities can help to build a greater sense of identity, pride, and resilience, which can have a positive impact on mental health, and can influence overall health outcomes.

Discuss

With your friends, loved ones, and community, don’t sweep hard conversations about racism and violence under the rug. Instead, proactively create dialogue and discuss the past (like the history of racism and how systemic racism greatly impacts health outcomes, for example), current events (like racist and violent incidents in the news), and the future (like exploring ways we can put an end to racism in our communities and break down systemic barriers).

Racism has had, and continues to have, significant negative impacts on the health and wellbeing of Black people and communities. Discussions around racism can help challenge negative stereotypes and prejudices, which is an important step toward solutions to create a more equitable society, such as healthcare access and quality of care.

Support

Follow Black people, groups, and communities on social media, support their businesses, donate to Black organizations, and volunteer in the community. Further, consider supporting from an intersectional lens, that is, support people who have a combination of a few or many determinants of health, such as Black women, or those in the Black LGBTQ+ community.

Income, social status, and employment are a few social determinants of health that play a large role in achieving one’s full health potential. Supporting Black-owned businesses and organizations can help contribute to the reduction of poverty, economic empowerment, and job creation, giving individuals a greater chance for better health for themselves and their loved ones.

In conclusion, remember that these actions shouldn’t stop at the end of February; consider how you can incorporate these activities more than just once a year during Black History Month. Black Canadians have shaped, and will continue to shape, our province and our country, and it’s important that we recognize and honour achievements, culture, businesses, and also actively fight racism and discrimination whenever and however you see it.

This month, next month, and beyond, let’s commit to Activate Health, and consider how, in our own unique and thoughtful ways, we can contribute to improving the health and wellbeing of Black Canadians.

Resources for further learning:

• February is Black History Month
• The history of Black History Month
• Black History Month resources for BC and Canada
• Learn more about Canada’s Black population
• What was Hogan’s Alley?
• Webinar series on anti-Black racism and public health
• Reading/Resources on disrupting racism in public health
• “The urgency of intersectionality” (TED Talk with Kimberlé Crenshaw)

We would like to add that we don’t presume we know what is like to be a Black Canadian, nor that we are sharing comprehensive information; rather, we hope this is a starting point to encourage thought, dialogue, and as is the aim of Activate Health, to think about how our individual actions can lead to improved population health outcomes and equity.

The post How Black History Month Promotes Health Equity appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.

Your Health, Our Commitment is our commitment to your health.
Activate Health is your commitment to being a health ambassador.
Together, we can, and will, help build healthier communities in BC!

And, through our collective actions, we can also build more equitable communities, where everyone has the chance to improve their health regardless of their life circumstances. This is health equity. This is our commitment. And we hope you’ll join us.

As we embark on a new year, there are many ways to Activate Health. Today, we’d like to share eight ways you can take action.

Eliminate stigma

The toxic drug poisoning crisis continues to be a public health emergency in BC. Over 1,600 people died in the first nine months of 2022 alone. As we look to 2023, we must ask ourselves how we can help save lives. One way is to eliminate stigma. Stigma sheds a negative light on people who use substances, and can cause people to hide substance use or not seek out help. 

Activate Health by educating yourself on stigma, mindfully eliminating any stigmatizing language you might be using, along with calling it out when you hear it. Start by reading our seven ways you can reduce stigma.

Be a social justice champion

Because social justice is intrinsically linked to public health, when we support social justice causes, we also support public health. By standing up for human rights, women’s rights, 2SLGBTQ+ rights, and Indigenous rights, to give a few examples, we can help improve the health of populations that experience various forms of discrimination and inequities.

Activate Health by exploring social justice causes that are closest to your heart, and then take action when and how you can. We wrote about some ways you can take action today.

Be a climate justice champion

Like social justice, climate justice is intrinsically linked to public health. Climate change is a public health issue that affects all of us, though some more than others. Those who already experience inequities like lower income or racism, for example, are more vulnerable to climate change and its impacts. In this way, when you stand up for social justice, you also stand up for climate justice. And when you stand up for both, you stand up for public health.

Activate Health by reflecting on the privileges you may experience, such as geographic location, race, or income, that may put you in a position for better health outcomes in the face of climate change. Then read our three ways to take action.

Stay informed

One only needs to turn on the news or go on social media to see what’s going on in the world; and it’s not always easy to see. While ignoring global atrocities and injustices might be easier than tuning into them, we encourage you to stay informed. By staying informed, we are better equipped to take action in the ways that we can. 

Activate Health by staying current with what’s happening in the world, and considering the connections these events have on the health of populations directly or indirectly involved. Reading a blog post we wrote on the war in Ukraine is a great start.

Get vaccinated

Vaccination is one of the most important actions you can take for the health of our population. Vaccination is a safe and effective way to help protect yourself and others from severe illness and hospitalization. COVID-19 helped to shine a light on the impact and importance of being vaccinated. Let’s keep vaccination (all vaccinations we need) top of mind.

Activate Health by staying up-to-date with all your vaccinations, and encouraging others, including older adults, and parents, caregivers, and guardians of children to do so as well. Read our blog post to learn how vaccines work, the importance of vaccine equity, and more.

Stop misinformation

Spreading mis- and disinformation is dangerous, deadly even. We continue to see COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, which can result in severe illness, or even death, for those who refuse the vaccine. With so much information at our fingertips, we must be even more mindful of what we choose to read, watch, or hear. With more information comes more responsibility for what we consume and share.

Activate Health by learning how to decipher between correct and incorrect information, and pledging to pause before sharing information. Reading our blog post on mis- and disinformation is an excellent start.

Support your community

In November 2022, we launched Your Health, Our Commitment, our campaign committed to pandemic recovery, strengthening public health, and building resilient communities for all. In the early days of the pandemic, our Executive Director, Kristy Kerr, wrote a ‘Reflections’ piece “COVID-19, Together, Apart” speaking to the importance of kindness, caring, compassion, and community. Let us aim to continue to put these virtues at the centre of all of our actions this year. 

Activate Health by learning more about “Your Health, Our Commitment” and supporting this important and timely campaign in the ways you can.

Donate

There are many ways you can Activate Health this year. As we continue our commitment to your health, and to the health of those in our communities, ongoing investments in public health are critical to ensuring our work continues, and continues strong. We are invested in supporting pandemic recovery and urgent solutions to the toxic drug poisoning crisis this year, and your gift can help us move these campaigns forward faster. 

Activate Health by donating what you can this year. Whether it be a one time or monthly donation, your gift, regardless of size, is a commitment to protecting, promoting, and prolonging the health of British Columbians.

Remember: Activate Health is about doing what you can, no matter how small, knowing that your contribution is an investment that will create a positive ripple effect in the lives of those around you.

We’re committed to Activate Health this year. Please join us!

The post Activate Health: 8 Ways to Be a Health Ambassador in Your Community This Year appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.