At Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, we believe that our vision of “health and well-being for all” is only possible when everyone has a fair opportunity to reach their full health potential. That’s why health equity is a core focus of our work and a key part of our strategic priorities.
Health equity means that everyone has a fair and equal opportunity to be as healthy as possible—regardless of their background, income, location or access to resources. We recognize that some people face more barriers to good health—like poverty, discrimination or limited access to services—and we are committed to reducing and removing these barriers through evidence-based programs, policy and partnerships so that everyone in our community can thrive.
Understanding Equity
To understand health equity, it’s helpful to compare it to equality.
Image caption: Three people of different heights are trying to pick apples from a tree. If they all receive the same size box to stand on, the shorter individuals still can’t reach the apples (equality). When each person gets the number of boxes they need to reach the apples, everyone succeeds (equity).
Image © 2017, Saskatchewan Health Authority
Why Health Equity Matters
Health is shaped by the conditions in which we live, work and play—these are known as the social determinants of health. Some individuals, communities and populations experience these conditions very differently, putting them at greater risk for poor health outcomes.
Reducing the negative impact of these social and economic conditions is fundamental to the work of public health. The main determinants of health include:
- Access to health services
- Biology and genetic endowment
- Childhood experiences
- Culture
- Education and literacy
- Employment and working conditions
- Food insecurity
- Gender
- Healthy behaviours
- Income and social status
- Physical environments
- Race/racism
- Social supports and coping skills
What We’re Doing
At Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, we take action on health equity by working both locally and systemically. We are engaged at the municipal, provincial and federal levels to influence the broader factors that shape health like policies, programs and systems.
We also work closely with community partners to study population health trends and the conditions that impact them. This evidence helps us design programs, support policy change and implement local interventions that make a meaningful difference for those who face the greatest barriers to health.
Some of the ways we’re working ‘upstream’ to influence the social determinants of health and give everyone the opportunity to be healthy include:
- Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination
- Headwaters Food & Farming Alliance
- DC Moves
- Community Resilience Coalition
- Growing Great Generations
- Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy
- Dufferin-Caledon Drug Strategy
These partnerships help us create lasting change by addressing inequities such as food security and access to care, which have a significant impact on health outcomes.