Many health policies are urban-centric, focused on cost-effective considerations, and do not address inequities faced by rural communities. This commentary proposes a framework to assist public health practitioners, policy-, and decision-makers to consider and build health equity in rural communities in Canada.
When I first started working for Alberta Health Services in 2011, I was tasked with creating the WalkABle Alberta community engagement process to create community reports that provide recommendations to improve community walkability. Let me tell you what I did.
Canada’s chief public health officer has identified that bringing attention to “how the built environment contributes to widening or reducing health inequities”[4] is a priority for promoting and improving the health of all Canadians. As we try to understand this relationship further, we think it is important to consider three questions.