Ontario chief medical officer of health urges unity to tackle health inequities

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health says everyone should have the chance to be as healthy as possible.

Dr. David Williams was in Peterborough on Wednesday, calling on all sectors to address the various barriers to good health. In his 43-page report Improving the Odds: Championing Health Equity in Ontario, Williams says there’s been a troubling trend of gaps growing between the most and least advantaged residents across the province and even between health units. He says action is needed to address the social, economic and environmental barriers to good health.

“Many struggle with health inequities,” said Williams. “Our overall curve of the numbers have gone up. The mean may be moving but there’s people being left behind; the tail of the curve is getting longer.”

Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, medical officer of health for Peterborough Public Health, firmly believes that.

“We understand that social, economic and environmental barriers to good health persist in our community,” she said.

An example she cited: 16 per cent of Peterborough households are experiencing some form of food insecurity, in other words, not getting enough healthy nutrition.

Williams says the key to shrink inequities is to create partnerships with all levels of government and local communities.

“All Ontarians have a fair chance to be as healthy as possible regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, socio-economic status, geography or other circumstances,” he said.

Understanding the makeup of different communities is also critical, the report’s author said.