October 27, 2023
VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL
The Honourable Doug Ford
Premier of Ontario
The Honourable Sylvia Jones
Minister of Health
The Honourable Michael Tibollo
Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
Dear Premier Ford and Provincial Ministers Jones and Tibollo:
Re: Public Health Strengthening and Chronic Disease Prevention
On behalf of the Board of Health for Public Health Sudbury & Districts, please accept this correspondence highlighting our commitment to health promotion and chronic disease prevention.
At its meeting on October 19, 2023, the Board of Health carried the following resolution #60-23:
WHEREAS the Board of Health for Public Health Sudbury & Districts is committed to ensuring it addresses the public health needs and health equity in its catchment area, as aligned with board of health requirements under the Health Protection and Promotion Act and Ontario Public Health Standards; and
WHEREAS Health Promotion Ontario’s White Paper on the Value of Local Health Promotion in Ontario recommends strong and sustained investment in local health promotion by public health units to ensure that health promotion is prioritized on an ongoing basis; and
WHEREAS the Board recognizes that there are opportunities for system improvements as part of the review of board roles and responsibilities announced under the government’s Public Health Strengthening initiative, including an assessment of its role in chronic disease prevention though health promotion interventions; and
WHEREAS chronic diseases are mostly preventable, are the cause of 75% of deaths in Ontario, and incur $10.5 billion in direct health care costs in the province; and
WHEREAS as the scope and intensity of infectious disease risks increase in the context of finite resources, there is a risk of under-resourcing public health actions that work on longer horizon chronic disease prevention;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT in the context of the Public Health Strengthening roles and responsibilities deliberations, the Board of Health for Public Health Sudbury & Districts urges all health system actors to remain committed to maintaining appropriate investments in health promotion and chronic disease prevention, while ensuring health risks associated with its health protection work are managed;
AND FURTHER THAT the Board request that the Chief Medical Officer of Health ensure proactive local engagement in the sector-driven review of the Ontario Public Health Standards.
Chronic diseases account for a substantial burden on the health of Ontarians and the health care system. They are the leading cause of death in Ontario, and they disproportionately impact populations who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, intensifying inequities. Chronic diseases are expensive to treat but they are largely preventable. Health promotion and chronic disease prevention work is critical to reducing the health and economic burden of chronic diseases.
The Board of Health respectfully urges the Provincial Government to ensure all health system actors, including local Public Health, are supported to invest in coordinated action to promote health and reduce the burden of chronic diseases, affecting so many Ontarians.
Sincerely,
Penny Sutcliffe, MD, MHSc, FRCPC
Medical Officer of Health and Chief Executive Officer
cc: Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ministry of Health
Heather Schramm, Acting Director, Health Promotion and Prevention Policy and Programs Branch, Ministry of Health
Susan Stewart, Chair, Health Promotion Ontario Executive Committee
Michael Sherar, President and Chief Executive Officer, Public Health Ontario
Matthew Anderson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Health
Brian Ktytor, Chief Regional Officer, Ontario Health North East & North West
France Gélinas, Member of Provincial Parliament, Nickel Belt
Jamie West, Member of Provincial Parliament, Sudbury
Michael Mantha, Member of Provincial Parliament, Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing
All Ontario Boards of Health