Government of Canada supports improving healthy living behaviours for priority populations across Canada

Addressing common risk factors for chronic disease will help improve health and quality of life

DARTMOUTH, NS, Aug. 8, 2022 /CNW/ - Physical activity helps improve your health, well-being and quality of life. Being active is one healthy behaviour that can help reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. It is important that everyone living in Canada, especially those who face social and economic challenges, are given support to adopt and maintain healthy behaviours to address risk factors of chronic diseases.

Today, Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, alongside Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for Dartmouth – Cole Harbour, Darren Fisher, announced an investment of more than $1.7M for three organizations to support projects that focus on increasing physical activity and healthy eating among seniors, as well as in low-income neighbourhoods, and school communities, across Canada. This investment will support:

• The Canadian Red Cross Society with $1M for its Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing project that will focus on  connecting vulnerable seniors, who are either experiencing are at risk of social isolation, to community based supports and services. The purpose of the project is to build a national network for knowledge sharing, training and collaboration related to risk factors for chronic diseases, specifically unhealthy eating and physical inactivity.  
• ParticipACTION with over $434,000 for their ParticiPARKs project focusing on physical inactivity. The project aims to engage communities in low-income neighbourhoods in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan in the design of free and accessible designated physical activity areas to encourage physical activity in nature.
• Physical and Health Education Canada with over $296,000 to engage children and youth and use existing infrastructure and community assets to identify and address the factors that are contributing to health inequities as well as to help school communities. These activities will take place in British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Quebec and improve the physical activity of students through a re-designed ReBOOT Schools program, which are designed to get participants engaged and excited about participating in physical activity

Quotes

"The Government of Canada continues to take important steps to improve the health and quality of life of everyone living in Canada. Through these projects, seniors, students and individuals living in economically challenged neighbourhoods across Canada will have access to information, tools and resources that will benefit their overall health and well-being and reduce their risk of developing chronic disease."

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health

"Today's funding announcement demonstrates that the Government of Canada is committed to support community-based initiatives that aim to improve the health and quality of life of everyone living in Canada. Helping individuals, especially those who face additional challenges, to become more active and eat healthier can help them achieve better health outcomes."

Adam van Koeverden
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health

"Our Government understands the importance of partnering with community organizations that are working hard to strengthen our communities. Together, we can ensure that everyone in Canada has the tools they need to live a healthier, more active life."

Darren Fisher
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour

Quick Facts

• Research shows that 44% of adults in Canada live with at least one chronic disease, such as heart disease, hypertension, cancer or diabetes.
• Obesity rates have been slowly increasing over the last 20 years for both male and female youth, and physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption have been decreasing.
• Funding announced today is being distributed through the Public Health Agency of Canada's Healthy Canadians and Communities Fund (HCCF) which supports projects that aim to lower Canadians' risk of chronic disease by tackling common modifiable risk factors, namely unhealthy eating, smoking and physical inactivity.

Associated Links

Healthy Canadians and Communities Fund

SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada

Contacts: Marie-France Proulx, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations, Public Health Agency of Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]; Public Inquiries: 613-957-2991, 1-866-225-0709