1

Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion

Presentation to TORC Rural Health ForumNovember 5, 2009

2

Purpose

• To provide an overview of the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion (MHP);

• To highlight various MHP programs, tools and initiatives;

• To identify areas for possible collaboration.

3

Overview

• Vision: Healthy Communities working together and Ontarians leading healthy and active lives

• Mission: To champion health promotion across Ontario and inspire partners to create a culture of health and well being for all

• 4 year old ministry with 146 staff and $400M budget

• Achieve goals through social marketing, public education, influencing and partnering with others, funding programs and services, surveillance, designing legislation/regulation, creating and disseminating new knowledge.

4

Promoting a Population Health Approach

• Recognize that health is determined by complex interactions between social and economic factors, the physical environment and individual behavior.

5

Applying an Integrated Approach

6

Ontario’s Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Framework

7

MHP’s 2009-10 Priorities

• Promoting Health and Wellness

• Preventing Disease, Injury and Addiction

• Partnering for Healthy Communities

• Promoting Nutrition and Healthy Eating

• Valuing Sport and Recreation

8

Examples of MHP Strategies and Initiatives

9

Partnering with Public Health

• MHP’s funds 75% of the health promotion standards for Ontario’s 36 public health units:

- chronic disease prevention- prevention of injury and substance misuse

- reproductive health- child health

• Best practice documents being

developed to guide implementation.

• Supported expansion of Children in Need of [Dental] Treatment Program to include children from birth until their 17th birthday.

10

MHP’s After-School Initiative

• MHP partnering with community organizations on after-school programs and services

• Linked to Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy • 15,500 children and youth will benefit • 270 Sites within priority neighbourhoods• Programs include activities like:

- healthy eating and nutrition education to help combat childhood obesity

- physical activity to encourage active lifestyles - personal health and wellness education to promote self-esteem

11

MHP’s Diabetes Prevention Initiative

Goal:•To reduce the incidence of type-2 diabetes among those at greatest risk and in those geographic areas of highest incidence

Settings:•Communities•Workplaces•Health care•Media

12

EatRight Ontario

• Evidence-based nutrition information for families and health care providers, including ssupport on diabetes prevention and management.

• Free web and phone-based service.

• Meal-planning tools and label reading videos.

13

Other Tools

• NutriSTEP: Tool to screen preschooler’s eating habits, identify nutrition problems early, including growth and overweight problems.

• EatSmart!: Award program promotes healthy food choices, in restaurants, schools, workplaces and recreation centres.

14

healthyontario.com

• Provides access to a wide range of health information and services available to Ontario residents.

• Includes health assessment tools, articles by experts, medical information, as well as links to other Ontario and not-for-profit health and wellness websites.

15

Smoke Free Ontario

• Implemented Smoke-free Ontario Act and Strategy

• Banned Smoking in Cars with children

• Supporting TEACH - smoking cessation training for health intermediaries

• Collaborating on Aboriginal Initiatives

• Creating New Directions in Tobacco Control

16

Healthy Communities Ontario

• Enhancing health and wellbeing through inter-sectoral collaboration, community engagement and partnerships.

• Three main components:- Healthy Communities Fund supports healthy eating, physical activity, tobacco use, substance and alcohol misuse, mental health and injury prevention projects;

- Healthy Community Partnerships promote community planning and mobilization to effect policy change and create a environment that promotes health;

- Healthy Communities Consortium of resource centres that support partnership and community development, training and best practices.

17

Healthy Communities Ontario Priorities

1. Increase access to healthier food2. Educate and develop food skills3. Increase access to recreation, sport and physical activity4. Support active transportation and improve the built

environment5. Increase tobacco free environments and smoking

cessation services6. Educate the public about the risks of tobacco use7. Increase resiliency in youth and adults re: alcohol and

drug use8. Increase access to mental health prevention and

promotion programs and supports9. Promote safe environments that prevent injury

18

Expanding Partnerships for Health Promotion