Making an impact on the underlying determinants of health will require governments to think and work differently. The report underscores the need for a "seismic shift" in how politicians and governments think about health, calling for a better balance between investing in an acute care system and investing in the factors that materially affect our health.

"Canadians' health and a healthy population must be viewed as the responsibility of governments and society as a whole, not just that of the ministries of health or health promotion," says Abbott. "Governments need to govern more collaboratively, in an approach that links multiple ministries, multiple levels of government, and other sectors of our society."

The report credits Canadian governments for beginning to move in this direction, with attention to poverty-reduction strategies. However, there is still a need for governments to shift the allocation of funds to programs and services that target the poor, underemployed, and disadvantaged Canadians.

"In the end," says Abbott, "governments need to recognize that unless we challenge the status quo about how to improve the health of Canadians, we are going to continue to pour billions of new dollars into the formal health care system and achieve very little."

Source: HEALTH COUNCIL OF CANADA