News Release: Provincial Health Officer has it right in ‘INVESTING IN PREVENTION’

News Release
September 28, 2010

The BC Healthy Living Alliance applauds Provincial Health Officer, Perry Kendall for his latest Special Report: Investing in Prevention. The report outlines opportunities to improve health outcomes by focusing on chronic disease prevention, early childhood development, poverty reduction, and whole of government, cross-sectoral approach to making healthy choices, easier choices.  “Investing in Prevention” aligns with BCHLA’s policy recommendations, work and approach to healthy living.

Barbara Kaminsky, Chair Elect of the BC Healthy Living Alliance and CEO of Canadian Cancer Society BC & Yukon commended the report, saying “the Provincial Health Officer’s findings and recommendations are in line with what BCHLA has been calling for.  We encourage leaders of this province to look at the preventive measures which are compelling not only for their cost-savings to the healthcare system but also for their cost-effectiveness compared to other therapies.”

The report recommends opportunities for shifting health behaviours which BCHLA has also identified, including alcohol harm reduction and reductions in intakes of sodium and sugar sweetened beverages. Reducing the amount of sugary drinks our children consume has been called “one of the promising avenues to curb the rising trend in childhood obesity” and has been the objective of BCHLA’s SipSmart! Program.

In the longer term, BCHLA concurs with the report’s recommendations to invest in the public health sector, chronic disease prevention, early childhood education and a poverty reduction strategy — these have the potential to improve the health outcomes of the least healthy in BC and lessen the load on the healthcare system.

BCHLA supports the Provincial Health Officer’s position that “it is as improper to withhold an effective preventive intervention as it would be to withhold an effective therapeutic intervention” and encourages a renewed investment in prevention.

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For further information please contact:
Rita Koutsodimos, Manager Communications & Policy
BC Healthy Living Alliance Secretariat
Telephone: 604-629-1630  Mobile: 604-989-4547
rkoutsodimos (at) bchealthyliving (dot) ca