12 Great Achievements

Canada is well known worldwide for its safe and high-quality food.

There are many different infectious diseases — from anthrax to West Nile virus — and controlling their spread has been a fundamental goal since the beginning of public health in Canada.

Canadian environmental policies have helped to increase the community’s health and to dramatically reduce toxic emissions such as lead and mercury.

One hundred years ago, infectious diseases were the leading cause of death worldwide. In Canada, they now cause less than 5% of all deaths—thanks to immunization programs.

Canada has made more progress in tobacco control in recent years than most other countries in the world and has seen a dramatic decline in tobacco consumption, along with a pervasive shift in attitudes.

In 1998, Canada’s road fatality rate was ranked ninth among the 29 member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Cardiovascular disease death rates have been declining steadily in Canada since the mid-1960s. The 1997 death rates were almost half those of 1969.

In the early 1900s, many major health threats were associated with poor maternal and infant health. Today, the health of mothers and children in Canada is among the best in the world.

Recognition that health is influenced by many factors outside the health care system has strengthened public health’s commitment and leadership in activities that address the broad determinants of health, such as income, education, early childhood development and social connections.

The term “universal” generally applies to benefits that are awarded solely on the basis of age, residence or citizenship, without reference to the recipient’s income or assets. Universal programs for income maintenance, social welfare services and health care services have helped Canadians maintain a high standard of living and of health.

Well into the 1900s, many diseases or injuries were associated with unsafe workplaces or hazardous occupations. The rate of work-related injury has been steadily declining since 1988—from 40 injuries among every 1,000 workers in 1988 to 20 per 1,000 in 2006.

Women have long been attempting to control when to have children through birth control and other techniques. Waiting until the mother is at least 18 years old before trying to have a child improves maternal and child health and it is healthier to wait at least two years after a previous birth before conceiving the next child.