Population and Public Health Branch
British Columbia

Highlights of Our Work

April 1, 2002 - March 31, 2003
Annual Summary

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Table of Contents

B.C. Team Charter - Population & Public Branch

Using a Population Health Approach to Promote Health

Funding Programs

Aboriginal Head Start Urban & Northern Program

Community Action Program for Children

Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program

Population Health Fund

AIDS Community Action Program

Diabetes

Falls Prevention Initiative

Hepatitis C Community-Based Support Program

Rural and Remote Health Innovations Initiative

Special Initiatives

How to Contact Us

B.C. Team Charter - Population & Public Branch

Purpose of Our Team

The purpose of the Population & Public Health Branch's B.C. Team is to increase the capacity of communities in using a population health approach to promote health and reduce inequities in health status.

Key Partners

Our key partners are non-profit organizations who deliver Population & Public Health Branch funded programs, the B.C./Yukon regional branches and national offices of Health Canada, other federal departments and agencies, the Government of B.C., Regional Health Authorities, municipalities, funding partners, universities and research institutes, and project participants.

Types of Products and Services We Provide Community Partners

• Funding to communities to reduce health inequities for at-risk children aged 0 to 6 years, at-risk pregnant women, at-risk youth, people with or at-risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and HepC, people with diabetes, rural populations, and seniors and veterans who are at-risk of injury through falls;
• Support to community partners who deliver Population & Public Health Branch funded programs to increase capacity in program and financial management, organizational development, the use of the population health approach and evaluation;
• Support to communities to increase community capacity and education about the determinants of health and on what actions to take to improve health and reduce inequities;
• Creation and maintenance of effective relationships with our key partners, including our Federal counterparts in the Region and in Ottawa, in order to assist at-risk populations.

Key Results

• The people of B.C. and our key partners have a better understanding of what affects our health and how to reduce illness, disability, injury and/or death and promote health.
• Population & Public Health Branch funded projects have increased capacity to reach and involve at-risk population groups and increased effectiveness in improving health outcomes with those groups.
• Decision-making that is transparent, objective, accountable, and guided by best practice.

Our Values

Clients First
Respect
Integrity
Inclusion/ Equity/ Diversity
Courage
Excellence
Accountability
Celebrate Achievements
Teamwork

Using a Population Health Approach to Promote Health

Health Canada is committed to the improvement of the well-being of Canadians through health promotion and illness prevention. One way Health Canada is working to achieve this goal is through the creation of federal funding programs as part of its “Promotion of Population Health Business Line”. These programs provide funding, based on specific criteria, to community-based non-profit organizations for the purpose of increasing the capacity of individuals and communities to maintain and improve their health. The PPHB B.C. team is responsible for administering nine of these Funding Programs. The following pages describe each of these Funding Programs, their target populations, expected outcomes, major activities and how they have made a difference to the residents of B.C.

The Population Health Approach

A unifying principle of Population Health funding programs is to strengthen the capacity of the voluntary sector to use a population health approach in enhancing the health and well-being of individuals and communities. This section explores what is a “population health approach” and how does it make a difference to the health of Canadians.

In 1994, the “population health approach” was officially endorsed by the federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Health. In January 1997, the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Advisory Committee on Population Health (ACPH) defined population health as follows:

Population health refers to the health of a population as measured by health status indicators and as influenced by social, economic and physical environments, personal health practices, individual capacity and coping skills, human biology, early childhood development, and health services.¹

Health Canada defines the population health approach as an approach to health that aims to improve the health of the entire population and to reduce health inequities among population groups. In order to reach these objectives, it looks at and acts upon the broad range of factors and conditions that have a strong influence on our health.²

These factors and conditions are known as “determinants of health”. For more information on the 12 determinants of health, refer to the Health Canada website.³

Ingredients of a Population Health Approach

What are the ingredients of a population health approach and how do community organizations put them into action?

1. Focus on the Health of Populations - assist population groups who experience poorer health due to such structural factors as poverty, lack of education, discrimination or isolation.

2. Address the Determinants of Health and their Interactions - identify those factors which negatively influence the health of certain population groups and work with the community to address them.

3. Base Decisions on Evidence - in seeking to understand health issues and develop effective interventions, community organizations are encouraged to gather evidence from such sources as demographic data, research findings, government reports, project evaluations, and key stakeholders.

4. Increase Upstream Investments -communities are encouraged to focus on the root causes of health issues through activities addressing health protection, illness prevention, and health promotion.

5. Apply Multiple Strategies - to be effective, interventions are often required on many levels: individual, family, organization, community and public policy.

6. Collaborate Across Sectors and Levels - improving the health of population groups requires collaboration from different sectors to address health determinants such as poverty and discrimination: Government (federal, provincial, municipal) voluntary and non-profit organizations, other public sectors such as health authorities and school districts and private businesses.

¹ Towards a Healthy Future, Second Report on the Health of Canadians, 1999. Prepared by the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Advisory Committee on Population Health.

² www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/phdd/approach/index-eng.php

³ www.www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/phdd/approach/

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