Leadership
The 2008 State of Public Health in Care report of the Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada, stated
“Working across sectors and jurisdictions, there is reason to believe health inequalities can be reduced through collective will and leadership Canada can achieve this goal by:
- building recognition of the importance of preventing disease and injury, and of promoting health. While a strong and accessible health care system will always be vitally important, prevention is preferable to treatment and has the potential to yield a significant return on investment. Public health is about more than being ready to respond in times of health emergencies – it is about keeping the population healthy at all times so that the impact of health emergencies can be kept to a minimum;
- identifying the appropriate indicators and creating the tools required to measure and monitor progress, as well as addressing knowledge and data gaps that prevent effective measurement. By establishing a point of comparison, it will be possible to assess Canada’s progress, or lack thereof, in responding to health inequalities – over time and in relation to other countries;
- cultivating a whole-of-society response. Canadians’ health is a shared responsibility and individuals, communities, public, private and not-for-profit sectors all have a role to play; and
- engaging leaders at all levels and across all sectors of society to act as champions, helping people to think about the contribution they can make to ensuring that all Canadians have the opportunity to achieve the best possible health.”
The Alliance believes that now is the time for this leadership in the area of chronic disease prevention and it invites partnerships with other organizations to pursue the goal of a healthier Manitoba.
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