6.2 Description Of The Initiative

The Saskatchewan Population Health Promotion Partnership started in 1994, following the publication of the federal/provincial/territorial paper on population health. At that time, a group of individuals with common interests in health promotion and population health within Saskatchewan Health, Health Canada and the Prairie Health Promotion Research Centre began to develop the idea of a partnership model. This culminated in a 1996 provincial meeting and the creation of an initial action plan. Since those initial stages, the Partnership has defined its mission and mandate, crystallized its understanding of the population health approach, refined and advanced its partnership model and ethic, extended its membership, and worked to mobilize population health promotion in Saskatchewan. In its own perception, the Partnership is now enjoying a new level of maturity, having developed some important basic tools and approaches, gone through at least two cycles of some of its regular activities, and developed a Strategic Plan which it is now in the process of implementing.

The Partnership is described as:

"...a coalition that exists to support and strengthen capacity for population health promotion in Saskatchewan.

We support and strengthen capacity* for population health promotion by:

• facilitating coordinated planning
• providing mutual support
• fostering skill development
• developing and disseminating information
• using resources effectively, and
• advocating for sufficient resources.

*Capacity refers to commitment, resources awareness and knowledge."

The partners currently forming the coalition are: Health Canada; Saskatchewan Health's Population Health and District Management Services Branches; the Prairie Region Health Promotion Research Centre; the provincial health districts, through representatives of the Health Promotion Contacts Group; the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations; the Saskatchewan Public Health Association; the Human Services Integration Forum; the Métis Family and Community Justice Services; the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations; and the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College.

The Partnership meets two to three times per year to exchange information, plan activities and review progress in the mobilization and support of population health promotion⁵. Partnership meetings focus on sharing current and upcoming developments in each partners' organization or jurisdiction. For specific tasks, smaller working groups can be formed on the basis of members' interest and capacity to participate, leadership will assigned as deemed appropriate by members, and other stakeholders may become involved. Individual partners or groups of partners can thus take the lead in spearheading various initiatives, while the Partnership provides a forum to initiate and coordinate joint ventures, reducing barriers among organizations and providing mutual support.

Some of the main activities which exemplify how the Partnership works are:

• Population Health Promotion Demonstration Projects for the Primary Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes. Following a call for proposals, seven pilot sites for the primary prevention of type 2 diabetes were launched in January 2000. This is a Saskatchewan Health-led initiative, announced in the March 1999 provincial budget. These three-year demonstration projects aim to reduce the conditions that contribute to the development of diabetes, create social and physical environments that enhance healthy choices, and enhance the ability of individuals, families and communities to take action. The projects are to use a population health approach grounded in partnerships among community organizations and agencies and the Ottawa Charter health promotion strategies. Tools have been made available to support projects in the development of a population health promotion practice for diabetes prevention.

• These demonstration projects are a major community-mobilization and capacity-building initiative for population health, with reference to an important health issue. The idea for this initiative was developed and tested through the Partnership, and various members provided supports to its development along the way. The Partnership will further contribute to mobilization around this issue through the holding of a provincial conference in February 2002; this initiative will be coordinated administratively by the Prairie Region Health Promotion Research Centre on behalf of a larger planning body with representation from all major stakeholders, including many Partnership members.

• Health Promotion Summer School. This week-long summer school is held on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan, through the Prairie Region Health Promotion Research Centre in collaboration with partners (in 2000, these included the Human Services Integration Forum, the Saskatchewan Council for Community Development, Saskatchewan Health, Health Canada, the Saskatchewan Heart Health Program, and the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations). The Summer School targets all human service sectors, public agencies and community organizations, and offers training and skills development in evidence-based planning and evaluation for population health promotion. The Partnership provides a forum for orientation and planning of the Summer School, based on members' input about needs, target audiences, content, etc.

• Links to Health Districts. In Saskatchewan's decentralized health structure, the mandate for actualizing population health lies with the health district offices. The Health Promotion Contacts Group, formed to support regular inter-district dialogue on health promotion and population health, meets quarterly and supports training and development for practitioners throughout the 33 health districts. Through the links it has nurtured with the health districts, enabled by the participation of Saskatchewan Health as well as representatives of the Health Promotion Contacts Group, the Partnership has been able to champion population health within districts and increase practitioners' capacities. Saskatchewan Health's document, A Population Health Promotion Framework for Saskatchewan Health Districts, explains the principles of population health promotion in line with the Partnership's approach, and sets out steps for moving forward into action on population health at the district level. District health boards have in turn embraced these concepts and used them to orient their planning and service delivery. The links with the service delivery level are reinforced through the membership of the Human Services Integration Forum, which has established Regional Intersectoral Committees. Population health will therefore be able to maintain a coherent presence at the regional service delivery level as integration proceeds.

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5. Population health promotion is an integrative concept adopted in the very early stages of the diffusion of the population health approach; it encompasses work on health determinants using health promotion strategies, and is based on Health Canada's cube model.

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