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http://umanitoba.ca/outreach/evidencenetwork/archives/13595
What does this look like in practice? We can start by acknowledging that our health is largely determined by factors that sit outside of the health care system. This is a fact that many people are aware of, but now we have data and some startling numbers to back it up. As a result, we can see that, in a very real sense, social policy is health policy. As a long-term goal, we should work to foster collaborations between sectors like housing, health and employment, and between levels of government, to coordinate services, and measure health impacts. In the short-term, we must invest in policies that address income. There are many opportunities, from bringing income assistance programs, unemployment benefits and minimum wage in line with the real cost of living, to boosting provincial child benefits to the level needed to make sure all children across the country lead healthy lives. The evidence shows us that the health of mothers, babies and families are at stake, and theres no more time to lose. To read more about this study, please visit: www.crich.ca/outreach/crich-research-flash Dr. Patricia OCampo is an expert advisor with EvidenceNetwork.ca and a social epidemiologist and the Director of the Centre for Research on Inner City Health at St. Michaels Hospital in Toronto. She is also a professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Toronto and holds the Alma and Baxter Ricard Chair of Inner City Health Research. See the posters based on this commentary