The social determinants of health are all over this Globe and Mail piece: "Beyond medical care, we need to address further how social conditions shape health. The countries outperforming us make effective social investments to promote health and well-being among children and adults alike. Just to name two: they provide... read more

Do you give to the food bank? Awesome! Now check out this great post by Trish Garner from BC Poverty Reduction about how to 'upstream' that action. (Especially if you live in BC or SK, the last provinces without a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy.) read more

By Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix Poverty doesn't just hurt those who experience it. Poverty places a huge burden on the province's health care, education and justice systems. Reducing poverty could save Saskatchewan taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars per year and give a multi billion dollar boost to the economy. That's... read more

In a recent article, Nova Scotia’s Health Minister, Leo Glavine, floated the idea that people should have to demonstrate healthy lifestyles before accessing our health care system, much like a bank assesses a customer for a loan. Sadly, this is not a new idea but has been floated by others pundits... read more

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives presents an alternative federal budget, one that "shows what the federal government could do if it decided to seriously address Canadians’ largest social, economic, and environmental concerns." What do you think we should be focusing on?  Read the CCPA's Alternative Budget report. read more

  Ranking among the social determinants of health are issues of equality and diversity. Your experience of inequality, because of things like gender, race, and sexual orientation, can have a serious impact on your health outcomes. This article, set in an American context, argues that racism is at the core of... read more

Surrounded as we are by the tunes and decorations of the holiday season, Industry Minister James Moore’s recent uncharitable comments about child poverty and hunger invoke inevitable comparisons to Charles Dickens’ famed miser Ebenezer Scrooge. One could easily imagine Scrooge haughtily asking his nephew, “Is it my job to feed my neighbour’s... read more

Building on local strengths key to cooling medical hot spots An intriguing idea was recently put forward by the Government of Saskatchewan, that of addressing medical hot spots. It has been reported that just five people were responsible for visiting Saskatchewan emergency rooms over 500 times in the last year.... read more

Doctors link income, education, housing and nutrition to health inequities The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) held its annual General Council in Calgary this week (August 18-21, 2013). Last summer in Yellowknife, I attended this meeting as a representative of Canadian Doctors for Medicare. It was not at all what I’d... read more