Common Ground | Terrain commun A Culture of Health

When I first wrote this I had high thoughts that Canada was far different, far more compassionate towards the downtrodden than our American cousins - I was dreadfully wrong.

I wrote this after seeing so many trans women become forced to enter the sex trade, many either dying at the hands of johns, pimps, or by their own hands.

Worse were those who are disabled, where no employer would hire them due to their own internal... more »

As our urban areas are increasingly made up of large condo towers, former industrial areas have now become primarily residential. As a result we have new residential neighbourhoods where the speed limit is too high (50 or 60 km/h) which is unsafe and unsuitable for pedestrians and cyclists. The maximum should be no more than 40km/h.

Ontario and Canada should follow the route of Europe where GMO foods are banned and we should start with GMO labeling and to also ban Monsanto products so that Canada can have fresh food free of biotechnology and cross-breeding and pesticides and herbicides. This is the best path to get the best quality products and so people can be truly healthy. Another important step for Ontario to follow is getting away from big box... more »

The deinstitutionalization of psychiatric services connotes an event that took place through the late 1960s and early 1970s,
when many psychiatric hospitals and inpatient beds were closed and psychiatric inpatients were discharged into the community.
However, the deinstitutionalization of psychiatric services has in fact been continuous for the past 40 years. The idea
that deinstitutionalization is a completed event... more »

The Government of Ontario should guarantee women's rights to reproductive choice and guarantee access to free at the point of use abortion on demand for all women. While abortion is currently covered under OHIP - they are typically performed in abortion clinics - which are usually only available in larger Ontario cities. All Ontario hospitals shouid be required to provide abortion services and free transportation should... more »

I applaud efforts to emphasize health as a collective responsibility, i.e. encouraging citizens to see themselves as active participants in preventing disease and illness and in working in partnership with their healthcare professionals to achieve the best outcome in their health and their treatment.
I believe that values-based (also referred to as ethical leadership) is essential to ensuring that our patients receive... more »

We will enable the long-term life quality benefits of funding treatments received at home or in community such as vaccinations which protect against major diseases (e.g., pneumonia shots and newer shingles vaccines), and physiotherapy, massage therapy, chiropraxis, and some dental procedures which protect against heart disease.
We will improve the quality of compassion and authorization of effective rehabilitative services... more »

WHEREAS the myriad examples of racial inequities in health, not only in access to care, but also in life expectancy, mortality, morbidity, health status, disease prevalence and incidence, utilization of services, clinical outcomes, process of care, adequacy of pain management, do-not resuscitate orders, and end of life care - even under conditions of equal access to medical care, should be of concern to countries with... more »

WHEREAS social determinants of health approaches and theories that foreground the link between inequitable distribution of social resources and unfair exposure to health-reducing conditions, have been criticized for ignoring “non-economic”— that is, interpersonal and structural manifestations of racism, that are part of the larger picture of health inequities ;

WHEREAS researchers have proposed that racism be seen as... more »

These preservatives can change the markers in white blood cells,causing them to start attacking each other(this may devolve into leukemia).It is suspected that while the immune system battles with itself many cancers can emerge and flourish that may have been held in check.Please remove these DEADLY DANGERS FROM OUR FOOD.It appears in every supermarket in prepared foods and salad bars,bacon, hams sausages and all cold... more »

Steps need to be taken to ensure that our long-term care institutions are properly regulated and inspected. The recent murders of seven patents in a nursing home in Woodstock should be a call to action by the Province to adequately and rigorously fund ongoing inspections of these types of facilities. Our seniors deserve better care and attention.

WHEREAS the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion identifies the prerequisites for health as peace, shelter, education, food, income, a stable ecosystem, sustainable resources, social justice, and equity ;
WHEREAS research has consistently made connections between adverse health outcomes and racial inequity ;
WHEREAS racialized Canadians experience a range of adverse living circumstances that threaten not only their health,... more »

The Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development should be given a mandate to implement measures which are designed to promote the education of more Aboriginal Health Care Professionals in addition to reducing the influence of the unique cultural, financial, and geographical barriers faced by prospective Aboriginal Health Care Professionals.

It is disheartening to hear of Ontarians with dire medical needs having to travel to the USA for help. Many times it is because of lengthy waits for surgery or to be seen by a specialist. Quite often, time is of the essence!
We've all heard of the cab driver who used to be a doctor back in his home country. Ontario and Canada pride themselves as among the most desirable places to live, work, and raise a family. Yet,... more »

Mental health costs the Canadian economy $51 billion per year. A large part of this cost comes from missed work and lowered productivity. Our proposal is to give all Ontario workers a fixed number of days off work, with no penalty and no requirement for a formal diagnosis. This will show Canadians that their mental health is a priority, and reduce the stigma in the workplace, while having the potential to educate employers... more »