York holds first national conference on social determinants of health

 

For the first time, experts are being brought together at a national conference to provide an accounting of the state and quality of 10 related areas of health policy and activity. The conference is organized by the School of Health Policy & Management, Atkinson Faculty of Liberal & Professional Studies, and runs Nov. 29-Dec.1 in Lecture Hall A of York’s Computer Science and Engineering Building.

The conference, “Social Determinants of Health Across the Life-Span – A Current Accounting and Policy Implications”, will provide an up-to-date accounting of the state of various factors across Canada known to have the greatest impact upon the health of Canadians.

Conference organizer Prof. Dennis Raphael, School of Health Policy & Management, noted, “We know the societal factors we are addressing at this conference have a far greater effect upon the health of Canadians than the lifestyle behaviours we usually hear about. A greater understanding of the relationship between these social factors and how they lead to either health or illness, will help build an approach to health policy that focuses on how governments, community organizations, and the labour and business sectors can work together to promote the health of Canadians by strengthening these determinants of health.”

For more information about the conference, visit the Media Relations Web site: http://www.yorku.ca/ycom/release/archive/112502.htm.