Health Status in Canada

This week's Learning Resources include the 2010 report "Stepping It Up: Moving the Focus from Health Care in Canada to a Healthier Canada." Recognizing that socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental conditions have a strong impact on the health of its people, the Health Council of Canada created the document to challenge the mindset that the Ministry of Health is the sole responsible government body that can improve the health of Canadians. As you begin to explore the population health status in various countries around the world, think about the conceptual and practical challenges inherent in shifting the focus from individual health to population health. What is being done in the various nations, and what still remains to be done?

This week, you examine Canadian initiatives intended to better health inequities and consider what principles might be drawn from the Canadian experience that can be applied to other societies.

Assignment: Upstream Approaches to Canadian Population Health

Although Canada is contiguous to the United States and has some cultural and historical similarities, Canada's population enjoys a vastly superior health status. Reasons are many, can be traced historically, and are related to a different view of the role of government. The experience of Canada demonstrates that neither a heterogeneous population, nor a health system that has waiting lines for services, are reasons for poor health. By looking critically at what produces good health in Canada, much can be learned about steps the U.S. might need to take if population health is its goal.

The Canadian Best Practices Portal challenges Canadian public health practitioners and researchers to create upstream interventions aimed at the source of a population health problem or benefit. What is being done to address the influences on population health in Canada?

To prepare for this Assignment, review your Learning Resources. Search the Internet and scholarly research for examples of Canadian "upstream interventions" that can be put forth as examples of either effective or ineffective efforts to improve population health.

The Assignment (2-4 pages):

- Provide a description of an existing intervention in Canada, intended to improve health inequities. Include an explanation of the inequity and how the intervention targets upstream determinants of health.

- Describe the organizations involved and/or social policies enacted in the implementation of the intervention.

- Explain whether or not the intervention was/is successful and what lessons public health practitioners can learn from that experience that might improve population health in the United States.

- Expand on your insights utilizing the Learning Resources.

Use APA formatting for your Assignment and to cite your resources.

Attachment:- Assignment.rar