The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the social determinants of health as "the circumstances in which people are born, grown up, live, work, and age, and the systems put in place to deal with illness." (WHO, n.d). There are many obstacles to overcome in putting policies in place to alleviate health inequalities by addressing socioeconomic determinants of health. "WHO" plays an important role in global health and disease governance because of its core global responsibilities of formulating, monitoring, and enforcing international regulations, as well as organizing diverse stakeholders toward common goals (Ruger & Yach, 2009). The socioeconomic environment and the physical environment are two types of social determinants of health. Social support networks, income and social status, literacy, job and working situations, and social surroundings are all part of the socioeconomic environment. Healthy childhood development, personal health habits, individual capability and coping abilities, genetics and biochemistry, gender, culture, and health services are all part of the physical environment. The social determinants of health, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, are a comprehensive set of characteristics or factors that have a significant part in determining each Canadian's standard of health (PHA, n.d). These variables have undergone substantial examination and include various factors that influence the health of individuals and communities.
In Canada, each province is responsible for providing health care and social services to its citizens. Ontario invests heavily in attaining health equality through developing health policies and initiatives that reflect an integrated framework for understanding health as well as how diverse structures affect individuals and populations. It intends to include the voices of stakeholders and communities in the development, execution, and assessment of policies and programs (Ontario Health, n.d). Whereas the provincial government of British Columbia is working on a set of guidelines. The Social Determinants of Health Standards are still in the early stages of their development. The essential domains have been established, and it aims to improve provincial services and programs by standardizing the terminology, strengthening culturally safe treatment, integrating information into health records, and improving information systems and data storage (British Columbia Government, n.d.).
Considering Canada's status as a world leader in health promotion and population health, public policies supporting socioeconomic determinants of health have been grossly insufficient. The social determinants of health notion have been helped by Canada's long history of policy pronouncements that highlight the importance of public policy in addressing the economic and social conditions that underpin health. Early childhood and globalization and health are two of the International Commission on the Social Determinants of Health's knowledge hubs, and Canadians have made substantial contributions to many elements of the Commission's mandate. On the ground, though, many Canadians' living conditions are deteriorating. According to Statistics Canada, the only segment of Canadians who have seen income increases in the last ten years has been the top 20%, whose earnings have climbed significantly. The incomes of the remaining 80% of Canadians have remained unchanged. However, social determinants of health are well understood in Canada. The Canadian government understands the disparities that many people face. Provinces are acknowledging the need for change and are working to bring it about.
References:
British Columbia Government. (n.d.). B.C. social determinants of health standards. Retrieved February 11, 2022, from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/practitioner-professional-resources/health-information-standards/standards-catalogue/bc-social-determinants-of-health-standards
Canada, P. H. A. of. (2001, November 25). Social determinants of health and health inequalities [Policies]. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/population-health/what-determines-health.html
Ontario Health (n.d.). Ontario Health's equity, inclusion, diversity and anti-racism framework [Infographic].https://www.ontariohealth.ca/sites/ontariohealth/files/202012/Equity-%20Framework.pdf
Ruger, J. P., & Yach, D. (2009). The Global Role of the World Health Organization. Global Health Governance : The Scholarly Journal for the New Health Security Paradigm, 2(2), 1–11.
World Health Organization. (n.d.).Constitution. Retrieved February 11, 2022, from https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1
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