Health equity: Policies, strategies, and approaches
On this page
- Health in All Policies
- Health Portfolio SGBA Plus Policy
- Anti-Racism in Science
- Supporting official language minority communities
- Federal equity initiatives
Health in All Policies
Health in All Policies is an internationally-recognized approach to including health considerations in decision-making. These considerations include social and structural determinants of health. This approach involves working together across society to improve health and wellbeing.
Since many factors influence health, it's important for public health officials to work with partners across sectors. Together, they identify shared goals and develop solutions that benefit areas like health, education and employment.
This approach improves:
- health equity
- population health
- community and population well-being
- the cost-effectiveness of the health care system
The Public Health Agency of Canada supports different initiatives that use this approach.
Learn more:
- Multisectoral Action 101
- World Health Organization
- National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy
Canadian Network for Health in All Policies
The National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy hosts the Canadian Network for Health in All Policies. The network promotes:
- using knowledge and research to promote Health in All Policies across Canada
- partnerships between public health professionals working in Health in All Policies
- working with Indigenous partners to develop approaches that recognize traditional ways of knowing and governing
Learn more:
Federal impact assessment
The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada evaluates impacts of infrastructure and resource projects like mines, pipelines, bridges, roads and hydroelectric dams. Impacts could be environmental, economic, social and to health. A working group on the social determinants of health chaired by our agency and Health Canada uses Health in All Policies when assessing these impacts.
Learn more:
The Intersectoral Action Fund
The Public Health Agency of Canada leads the Intersectoral Action Fund, which supports community projects that:
- reduce health inequities
- improve population health
- strengthen community resiliency
Funded projects address social determinants of health by targeting policies and inequities that shape people's living conditions and behaviours.
Canada's Quality of Life Framework
Canada's Quality of Life Framework informs federal decision-making by measuring what matters most to people's well-being in Canada. It covers across 5 areas:
- Prosperity
- Health
- Environment
- Society
- Good governance
Federal departments use the framework to assess how projects can affect people's quality of life, including health and its social determinants.
Learn more:
Health Portfolio SGBA Plus Policy
Sex-and-Gender-Based Analysis (SGBA) Plus is the approach the Health Portfolio uses to advance health equity in all policies, programs and initiatives.
Benefits of SGBA Plus include:
- understanding how different factors work together to influence health outcomes and experiences
- more inclusive research, policies, services and programs
The SGBA Plus process is a 5-step cycle that encourages its users to:
- gather different kinds of data to inform their work
- challenge personal assumptions and biases
Learn more:
Contact us for more information about SGBA Plus.
Email: healthequity-lequiteensante@phac-aspc.gc.ca.
The SGBA Plus Action Plan
The SGBA Plus Action Plan aims to improve how we use SGBA Plus in our policies, programs and initiatives to promote health equity.
The plan is founded on 3 key ideas:
- Governance and accountability
- Knowledge and evidence
- Capacity and expertise
Its priorities are to:
- make sure people use SGBA Plus when planning, reporting and making decisions
- improve how we collect and use certain kinds of data so that all communities are represented in our research
- create SGBA Plus training, tools and resources
- work with our partners to ensure our policies and programs are equitable and culturally relevant
We're using the plan to work towards these outcomes:
- Employees, partners and stakeholders use SGBA Plus and equity-informed approaches in all their work.
- All PHAC activities apply an intersectional, culturally relevant and evidence-informed approach.
- People in Canada experience improved health outcomes through tailored, equity-informed public health initiatives.
Anti-Racism in Science
Anti-Racism in Science is an approach that opposes and addresses racism by identifying, assessing, preventing, reducing and eliminating racial bias in science and research activities. We're committed to making sure these activities support diversity, and are transparent, equitable, inclusive and anti-racist.
Supporting official language minority communities
Official language minority communities are groups of people whose preferred official language isn't the language spoken in their province or territory. For example:
- English-speaking communities in Quebec
- Acadian and French-speaking communities outside of Quebec
The Official Languages Act requires us to plan actions (measures) that have positive effects on these communities.
Examples of positive measures at the agency include:
- working with communities to identify their needs
- promoting French in every province and territory
- creating and sharing information in both official languages
- putting official language clauses in agreements so that all parties address different language needs
- using evidence from consultations and engagement with official language minority communities alongside our own data and research
Contact us to learn more about the Official Languages Act at the agency.
Email: olmccentreclosm@phac-aspc.gc.ca.
Federal equity initiatives
We've also helped to develop equity initiatives led by other governmental departments, including: