Strengthening community connections: the future of public health is at the neighbourhood scale – Summary
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This summary provides an overview of a recent report written by Dr Kate Mulligan titled Strengthening community connections: The future of public health is at the neighbourhood scale. That report was one of four commissioned reports that informed the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada’s 2021 annual report, A vision to transform Canada’s public health system. Community-led action at the neighbourhood scale is vital to address complex health inequities made evident during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. The engagement of people and communities at the neighbourhood level improves both health equity and the ability of health systems to manage, adapt and change over time — even when faced with significant and sustained urgent and emergent situation.
This document summarizes and provides an example from practice, four key actions by which public health in Canada can more fully incorporate and support the capacity and leadership of communities to take more control over the conditions for their own health and wellbeing. The four actions are: strengthen and invest in the work of community health and wellbeing at the neighbourhood scale; ensure accountability for community involvement in governance and decision-making; build community and equity into new data architectures; and confront structural and historic barriers to systems transformation.
Use this resource to:
- Learn about four key actions for public health to incorporate and support the capacity and leadership of communities
- Find links to other resources that: support public health action to strengthen and invest in the work of communities; ensure accountability for community involvement; build community and equity into data architectures; and confront structural and historic barriers to systems transformation
| Full Report |
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Related Resources:
Let’s talk: Community engagement (2021)
Reflections on the relationship between public health and primary care (2021)
Establishing a new interface between public health and primary care: A curated list (2021)
Canada's Chief Public Health Officer 2021 Report and Associated Commissioned Reports (2021)
Measuring what counts in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic: Equity indicators for public health (2020)
Reference
Mulligan K., & National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health. (2022). Strengthening community connections: The future of public health is at the neighbourhood scale - Summary. Antigonish (NS): NCCDH, St. Francis Xavier University.
Tags: Access to health services, Intersectoral action, Leadership & capacity building, Public Health Organization, Document, Report / Document