(November 9, 2006) – A new community-based project is the first step in improving the health outcomes of people living in Saskatoon’s low-income neighbourhoods. Saskatoon Health Region, in partnership with the Saskatoon Public Schools, the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, the Saskatoon Tribal Council and many community based organizations, is undertaking a new initiative to develop an integrated community response to improve peoples’ health outcomes by focusing on community-based preventive health services.
The Building Health Equity Project will address the results of a health disparity study recently conducted by the Saskatoon Health Region and to be published Friday in the Canadian Journal of Public Health. The "Health Disparity by Neighbourhood Income" study, the first of its kind in Canada, found vast differences in health status by neighbourhood income for chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis C, infant mortality and suicide attempts and many other health indicators.
The study compared the six adjacent low-income neighbourhoods (as identified in Statistics Canada 2001 Census) to the health status of residents living in the rest of the city in general and to five high-income neighbourhoods in particular (please see background information).
In response to the study, the Health Region is re-orienting and investing additional human and fiscal resources in the local schools and the surrounding communities to support greater student and family access to preventive health services. A team of health professionals, including public health nurses, a paediatrician, community development and liaison workers and a new Community Advisory Committee will work with the residents of low-income neighbourhoods to develop new and innovative approaches to providing community-based health services.
The new and reallocated resources will bolster a number of public health and health promotion programs already offered, such as childhood immunization and health screening services, street health outreach, the KidsFirst Program, Food for Thought and the Diabetes Community Outreach Worker project. Joint services are also offered at St. Thomas Wesley United Church, the White Buffalo Youth Lodge and the Saskatoon Westside Community Clinic.
"We will work together as a community to build on our strengths: work that is already being done, people working together to support one another, and the resiliency of the people who live in these neighbourhoods," says Maura Davies, President and CEO, Saskatoon Health Region. "As a health region, we will make new investments to tackle these health issues and their underlying causes. We will continue to monitor and report on the progress made in improving the health of these communities."
The Health Region’s partners play a vital role in the success of building health equity.
"Saskatoon Public Schools sees this announcement as an important part of SchoolPLUS which fits well with our Board’s commitment to schools as Integrated Community Centres," says George Rathwell, Deputy Director of Education, Saskatoon Public Schools. "This health-based approach will have a definite positive impact on our students and their learning."
"At Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools we will continue our hard work to ensure children in all of our school communities have the services and the support they need to succeed in school and in life; the goal of Catholic education is seeing development of the whole child – in heart, mind, body and spirit," says Gordon A. Martell, Superintendent of Education, Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools. "We acknowledge and accept that health disparities do exist in Saskatoon. We’re renewing our commitment to the innovative programs and tools we already have in place to help the communities facing these challenges. And we’re ready to move forward with new, creative ideas so that we build on the strong foundation we’ve established in these communities."
"The United Way of Saskatoon and Area believes that for a city to be truly great, it must be great for everyone. As we celebrate our first hundred years as a city, let's commit to making this a truly great city by addressing the growing gap between rich and poor, healthy and unhealthy, in Saskatoon," says Ken Howland, President, Board of Directors, United Way of Saskatoon & Area
"Addressing the root causes of poor health involves strengthening community action, creating supportive environments and building healthy public policy," says Vanessa Charles, Co-Chair, Saskatoon Anti-Poverty Coalition. "This report, the new Building Health Equities team and the development of a Community Advisory Committee are steps towards making a significant difference in our community. The Saskatoon Anti-Poverty Committee looks forward to participating in this very worth while endeavour."
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For more information contact:
Kerilyn Voigt
Corporate and Public Affairs Advisor
Saskatoon Health Region
306-655-3386
Saskatoon Health Region
"Healthiest people, healthiest communities, exceptional service."
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