Prepared By:
Jessica Kipping-Labute
Date:
September 10, 2018
Subject:
“Vote for Health” Municipal Election Survey
Background
Municipal governments and elected representatives can shape the health of communities through the design and delivery of local policies, programs, and services. Working with partners and decision makers to achieve these outcomes is part of the Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS), and is one objective of the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit’s (WECHU) 2017-2021 Strategic Plan.
Under the Foundational Standard of the OPHS, Public Health Units (PHUs) are to share reports, advisories, and healthy public policy recommendations. As well, PHUs are to contribute to policy work aimed at reducing barriers to positive health outcomes. Specifically, leading, supporting, and participating with stakeholders on policy development to decrease health inequities. In the Program Standards PHUs are to use data to influence and inform the development of local healthy public policies.
Current Initiatives
On September 5th, the WECHU launched ‘Vote for Health’, a voluntary survey distributed to all local council and mayoral candidates running in the upcoming 2018 municipal election. The survey asks about how municipal candidates would prioritize their efforts based on seven identified local health priority areas. These areas include dental health, substance misuse, food insecurity, mental illness, built environment, and climate change. These priority areas were identified based on local data, results from the WECHU’s 2016 Community Needs Assessment, and the Association of Local Public Health Agencies’ (alPHa) Municipal Election Policy Priorities document. This approach was adapted with permission from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit and modified to specifically address locally relevant aspects. The results of the survey will be posted on WECHU’s website in late September. The information collected from municipal candidates does not necessarily reflect the views of the WECHU, but instead provides an opportunity for candidates to share their views on local public health issues with the community.
The purpose of the survey is to:
- Raise awareness of local public health issues.
- Provide an opportunity for municipal candidates to share their views on these public health issues.
- Provide residents with municipal candidate’s views on these public health issues to support informed decision-making when voting in the October municipal election.
Support the development of healthy public policy during and after the election period.
Consultation
The following individuals contributed to this report:
- Kristy McBeth, Director, Knowledge Management Division
- Marc Frey, Manager, Planning & Strategic Initiatives Department
Approved by:
Theresa Marentette