A call to rebuild public health
COVID response came at ‘significant effort,’ group says in election primer
The two-page election primer outlines public health’s response to COVID-19
Ahead of the provincial election next month, the Association of Local Public Health Agencies is bringing attention to the public health system and its role in coming through the most “demanding pandemic of a century.”
The two-page election primer outlines public health’s response to COVID-19, the impact the pandemic had on its resources and their ask for candidates to acknowledge public health’s importance in the continuing health and economic recovery of the province.
While not out of the norm — alPHa releases a primer prior to each federal, provincial and municipal election — the chair of the Council of Ontario Medical Officers of Health said it is of particular importance this year.
“Decisions the government makes about the public health system is certainly very important to the well-being of the population,” said Dr. Charles Gardner.
“It’s important that we be able to bring to the attention of candidates, and the public in general, the needs of the public health system and the role that public health has played through the pandemic, as well as the roles that we generally play to maintain and improve the health of the population.”
The association surveyed the leaders of public health units to gather information about the programs that were either suspended or diminished due to the pandemic, and priorities for their return.
The key findings are the basis of the information in the election primer.
In a media briefing Monday, Dr. Mustafa Hirji said the achievement by public health to vaccinate over more than seven million people in Ontario (three doses) and provide contract tracing for millions of people infected with COVID-19, as well as provide outbreak control, implementation of public health measures and data analysis has “come at a significant effort on our part.”
“On average, local public health agencies diverted 78 per cent of our resources to managing the pandemic, which really meant we weren’t able to deal with many of the other health issues,” said Niagara’s acting medical officer of health.
“We’re seeing clear increases in things like substance use and
mental health, and widening of those inequities in our society in terms of health impacts.”
Gardner said now is the time to begin the recovery process and bring back routine programs, all of which are meant to prevent disease and promote and protect the health of the population. Programs in food safety, environmental health, injury prevention, substance abuse, healthy and safe water, and the immunization of youth.
Gardner said he wants the new next provincial government to support the return of routine programming, provide funding to do so, and support an evaluation of the pandemic response and of the public health system, with “regards to lessons to be learned, changes to be made,” which would strengthen and provide readiness for the ongoing pandemic, and future pandemics.
With public health receiving about $1.267 billion, or two per cent, of the total Ontario Ministry of Health operating expenses, both Gardner and Hirji hope to see further investment.
“Even a tiny fraction of a percent increase in funding …. would be a really significant impact on our ability to serve the population to deal with these unequal and longer term health impacts,” said Hirji. “And make sure we’re also better protected for the pandemic going forward.”
Gardner said the provincial government has provided “time-limited additional funds” to help with increasing resources and staffing during the pandemic. But while hopeful about the future, it is not clear where things are going with COVID-19 and any potential new variants.
“We need support to be able to keep the staffing needed to enable us to continue to vaccinate well, to respond to outbreaks well,” he said. “We do need additional resources to get those other programs up and running and running again. Ultimately, we do need support from government for additional funding.”