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Health for All: Building Winnipeg’s Health Equity Action Plan

Health for All is a report created by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority to build a foundational understanding of existing health gaps in Winnipeg and to facilitate collaborative conversations in creating a health equity action plan.  

The report first envisions what a vibrant, healthy Winnipeg would look like, and emphasizes the value of creating a shared vision to work towards. Using some of the most telling local indicators, the report then outlines the nature and scale of existing health gaps in Winnipeg, making clear the connection between social and economic circumstances and health.

This framework for understanding and addressing health equity is organized into principles, strategies, and areas for action depicted as layers around the desired outcome of “health for all.” The principles represent a basic set of intentions, and the strategies—knowledge, governance, and participation—describe different approaches for sustained action; together, the principles and strategies provide a context for 12 areas of action to improve health equity.

The areas for action described in Health for All are similar to the social determinants of health, yet the frame of reference used in the report is “geared towards motivating enhanced action going forward rather than explaining causation looking backwards” (p.22).

While this foundational report acknowledges the need for a diversity of approaches from many sectors, it concludes by identifying common components of effective action for all equity promotion work: reaching out; dignity, respect and cultural proficiency; integrated services; locally-based services; and equity impact assessment.

Use this resource to

  • Learn about ways to begin the work of developing a health equity action plan within a health unit or authority
  • Review the foundational principles adopted by another health authority for its health equity work
  • Design a statement of purpose for health equity work in your health unit
  • Initiate multi-sector discussions about how to address health gaps.

Reference

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. 2013. Health for All: Building Winnipeg’s Health Equity Action Plan.

Tags: Community engagement, Healthy public policy, Intersectoral action, Methods & tools, Socioeconomic status, Assess and report, Participate in policy development, Public Health Organization, Report / Document