Suchergebnisse

"Canadians are slowly becoming aware that the international agreements now being negotiated to govern trade in services could have massive and irreversible effects on their health care system. The overarching objective of "trade liberalization" motivating these agreements includes a quite specific and deliberate agenda of reducing the role of government, and extending that of private commercial activity in all sectors, including the provision of health care. The objective of this Conference was to provide participants with an overview of the key provisions of the various agreements NAFTA, GATS, FTAA currently in place or under negotiation. Speakers reviewed evidence to date on the impact of these agreements in areas related to health, and identified potential future risks to the Canadian health care system." -CHSPR website ; Health Care and Epidemiology, Department of ; Non UBC ; Medicine, Faculty of ; Population and Public Health (SPPH), School of ; Unreviewed ; Faculty ; Researcher

OBJECTIVES: This research analyzes the roles and limitations of Public Health in British Columbia in advancing food security through the integration of food security initiatives into its policies and programs. It asks the question, can Public Health advance food security? If so, how, and what are its limitations? METHODS: This policy analysis merges findings from 38 key informant interviews conducted with government and civil society stakeholders involved in the development of food security initiatives, along with an examination of relevant documents. The Population Health Template is used to delineate and analyze Public Health roles in food security. RESULTS: Public Health was able to advance food security in some ways, such as the adoption of food security as a core public health program. Public Health's leadership role in food security is constrained by a restricted mandate, limited ability to collaborate across a wide range of sectors and levels, as well as internal conflict within Public Health between Food Security and Food Protection programs. CONCLUSIONS: Public Health has a role in advancing food security, but it also faces limitations. As the limitations are primarily systemic and institutional, recommendations to overcome them are not simple but, rather, require movement toward embracing the determinants of health and regulatory pluralism. The results also suggest that the historic role of Public Health in food security remains salient today.