Plan Puts Nova Scotia On A Healthier Course

Premier John Hamm and Health Promotion Minister Rodney MacDonald announced today, April 27, a new $500,000 grant program to get people more active as part of the province's plan for a healthier Nova Scotia. The plan is supported by $3.6 million in new funding -- a 24 per cent increase -- that the Office of Health Promotion is receiving in this year's budget.

"Improving the health of Nova Scotians, especially our children, is critical to our quality of life and our prosperity as a province. This plan helps us deliver on one of the most important commitments we made in our government's blueprint for a better Nova Scotia," said Premier Hamm. "We need to address risk factors -- like inactivity, poor diet, and smoking -- and work across government and with different sectors to improve the conditions that affect health, like income employment, education, and physical environments."

Groups that develop creative programming to increase physical activity -- especially among children and youth -- by partnering with other local and provincial organizations will be eligible for grants averaging $10,000. The grants reflect the Office of Health Promotion's overall plan to encourage and support people to work together to achieve better health for Nova Scotians.

The plan, titled Healthy Nova Scotia: Strategic Directions for the Office of Health Promotion, addresses some of the major risk factors for disease, disability and premature death. It outlines action in a number of key areas including physical activity, healthy eating, tobacco control, injury prevention, addiction prevention, healthy sexuality, chronic disease prevention and communications and social marketing.

The Office of Health Promotion will implement the plan in consultation and partnership with a variety of stakeholders and community groups. Mr. MacDonald applauded the work of the many individuals, groups and organizations already working to improve the health of Nova Scotians.

"We hear so much these days about our poor health. We need to hear more about the solutions," said Mr. MacDonald. "In communities across Nova Scotia, there is a groundswell of activity to improve health. We want to encourage that movement and build on successes."

Currently, groups and organizations independently dedicate expertise, resources and action to address various risk factors. Over the last two years, many stakeholders worked together to develop a chronic disease prevention strategy for Nova Scotia. The strategy was delivered to government in the fall of 2003.

The chronic disease prevention strategy recommends broad action to strengthen leadership, create healthy public policy, develop a strategic research agenda, and improve information sharing among those working in health promotion. It also recommends building capacity for community action, and promoting health through more shared communications and social marketing campaigns.

Many strategy recommendations are integrated throughout the Office of Health Promotion's plan. A number of other recommendations have been addressed separately, through a new $730,000 budget line.

Specifically, the office will form an inter-sectoral health promotion advisory committee, and will hold an annual stakeholders' forum to release an annual report, share information, and evaluate and set priorities. The office will also provide sustainable funding for Community Health Boards and hire a provincial chronic disease co-ordinator to work with community groups. Local co-ordinators will be hired in the next 15 months.

The chronic disease prevention strategy helped shape the overall directions of the office and will continue to be a guiding document for future planning.

Other highlights of the Office of Health Promotion plan include action to:

• Expand the Active Kids, Healthy Kids strategy to get children and youth more active, and help provide safe, accessible facilities, such as arenas, ballparks, trails and playgrounds;
• Implement a comprehensive injury prevention strategy that addresses the leading causes of injury, including a program to help prevent falls in seniors;
• Continue and enhance the tobacco strategy, including more support for people to quit smoking;
• Work with the Department of Education, school boards, schools and other partners to develop school food and nutrition policy;
• Launch a new problem-drinking program to raise awareness of safe drinking guidelines and provide more support for those with problems;
• Introduce Premier's Community Health Champion's Awards to celebrate those working to improve health in Nova Scotia and encourage others to follow.

"Each action in our plan contributes to long-term goals to reduce the rates of disease and injury and their social and economic impacts," said Scott Logan, executive director for the Office of Health Promotion. "We will see benefits in the short term, though it may take a full generation to see a significant impact on the overall health of the population."

Mr. Logan said the Office of Health Promotion's plan is a work in progress. It will be expanded as the office builds resources and consults more broadly with stakeholders.

A copy of the plan is available at www.gov.ns.ca/ohp/ .