Toward a Healthy Future

This report summarizes the most current information on the health of Canadians, and is a tool to alert policy makers, practitioners, and the public to current & future challenges in health, and to help identify actions that can be taken to improve health. The introduction reviews the data sources used, their limitations, and the general characteristics of the Canadian population. Part A, describing the health status of Canadians, focuses on three related questions: how healthy Canadians are, whether their health is improving, and who is healthy & who is not. Information is included on self-rated health, psychological well-being, selected diseases & conditions, disability & activity limitations, major causes of death, life expectancy, potential years of life lost, and comparisons with other countries. Part B covers six broad factors that affect the health of Canadians: the socio-economic environment, including income & working conditions; healthy child development; the physical environment, both natural & man-made; personal health practices, including risk behaviours such as smoking; access to & utilization of health services; and biology & genetic endowment. Part C discusses what can be done to improve health, using a population health approach. Priorities for action are suggested with regard to renewing & reorienting the health sector, investing in the health & well-being of key population groups, and reducing inequities in income distribution, literacy, & education as a means to improve health. Includes key word index.