Honourable Dr. Helena Jaczek,
Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
10^th Floor, Hepburn Block
80 Grosvenor Street
Toronto, Ontario, M7A 2C4
Hjaczek.mpp@liberal.ola.org 
 
Dear Minister Jaczek,

On behalf of the Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA), I would like to congratulate you on your appointment as Minister of Health and Long-term Care.

This letter of welcome has special significance given your expertise and training in public health and past leadership roles. The progress you made in reforming Ontario social services system, launching the Basic Income Pilot, Food Security Strategy and other measures under Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy provide important building blocks for promoting individual as well as community health and wellbeing. We view your appointment as a positive signal of your government’s commitment to addressing the social determinants of health and building healthier environments for all.

OPHA is pleased to have collaborated with your ministry on a wide range of topics from preparations for the legalization of cannabis, a provincial alcohol strategy, the contextual statement for menu labelling, the Healthy Kids Community Challenge, diabetes prevention, environmental health, health equity to the modernization of public health and more. We would value being able to work with you and ministry colleagues to build on these successes in order to continue to advance shared goals.

We were encouraged by your government’s recent health related budget commitments that included more funding for mental health, increases to tobacco taxes and greater support for oral health as well as various areas that address important determinants of health (e.g. free pre-school care, changes to minimum age and social assistance reform). However, there are other areas where urgent or innovation action is needed to both save health care costs and improve health and wellbeing. For example, we agree with the recommendations of Ontario’s Auditor General’s report that Ontario needs an overarching chronic disease prevention strategy with increased and dedicated funding; this is especially critical given our aging population and the growing rates of chronic diseases. We’re concerned that Budget 2018 commits to a strategy for growing the alcohol industry without balancing this with a plan to reduce the potential harms; such a plan was promised by the Premier over two years ago. Introducing a health-in-all-policies approach across government could ensure health costs and benefits are front and centre in government decision making.

As you may know, OPHA is a member-based non-profit, non-partisan organization which has been providing an independent voice for public health since 1949. We bring together a broad spectrum of individuals and groups from various backgrounds and sectors  - public health, health care, academic, voluntary to the private sector. Our expert volunteer workgroups provide a cross disciplinary forum for addressing key public health issues. In addition, OPHA is actively involved in various networks and partnerships, including Co-Chairing EcoHealth Ontario and Chair of the Ontario Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance.  Our Nutrition Centre provides a centre of excellence on health eating and nutrition and has a strong track record of supporting capacity building among health intermediaries.

Again, we extend our sincere congratulations on your appointment and best wishes in this new position. We look forward to working with you and ministry colleagues to further our shared vision of optimal health for all.

Sincerely,

Karen Ellis
President