October 2010 - Hot Topic

Ministry of Health and Long-term Care is Championing Health in All Policies

Earlier this year the World Health Organization and the Government of South Australia released the Adelaide Statement on Health in All Policies[1].

This Statement emphasizes that the health of the population is largely determined by social and economic policies that fall outside the reach of the health sector. It calls on decision makers within all levels and departments of government to examine their proposed policies for their potential impact on human development, sustainability, equity, and health outcomes.

In order to facilitate this examination, new institutionalized processes which foster strong cross-sector collaboration are required. The Adelaide Statement calls the approach “joined-up government” and states that the approach works best when the following are in place:

  • a clear mandate for the approach;
  • systematic processes across sectors;
  • mediation across interests;
  • accountability, transparency and participatory processes;
  • external stakeholders engagement; and
  • cross-sector initiatives that build partnerships and trust.

In synchrony with these recommendations, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) is moving forward to develop a toolkit for use in examining policy directions for their impact on health.

On September 24th, the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (OAHPP) conducted, on behalf of the MOHLTC, a roundtable to test the Critical Analysis Reference Tool (CART) it has drafted to assess the potential impact of a particular policy direction for its usefulness at the local level. To test the tool, participants in the roundtable discussions examined case studies from Sudbury, Peterborough, and Region of Peel health units. Elements of the assessment tools include research analysis; impact assessment on various areas (e.g., environment, work, income, safety, housing, mental health); equity assessment; gender; diversity and intersectionality; cost saving; and mitigation strategies. The attendees provided useful feedback on the took and commented that the tool and the accompanying implementation manual will not only be useful at the policy level but also can be utilized to examine specific public health programs to assess the impact of the program on health equity.

It is an exciting time in Ontario to contemplate the potential outcome of an all government process to put health in all policies. Once the tools and manual are available for use and there is commitment across government departments to put health in all policies, we will be one step closer to creating health equity in this province.

 

 

References

[1]  Adelaide Statement on Health in All Policies [PDF], World Health Organization, Government of South Australia, Adelaide, 2010.