Ottawa Public Health (OPH) today released its ‘Have Your Say’ survey, and the State of Ottawa Health 2014 report, which will inform its 2015-2018 Strategic Priorities. These priorities will set the strategic direction for the organization for the next four years, guiding decisions about health policies, programs and services.
The ‘Have Your Say’ survey presents an opportunity for residents to tell OPH what public health issues are important to them, to ensure the public health needs of our community continue to be met and the population’s health status is improved.
The State of Ottawa Health 2014 report provides a snapshot of the health of Ottawa’s population, and will help OPH and its community partners identify local public health issues, effectively plan and deliver health promotion and protection services, and develop innovative public health policy in Ottawa.
“Monitoring the health status of Ottawa residents helps OPH and our partner agencies serve our clients and the public at large to the best of our ability. It keeps us current, informed and focused,” said Dr. Isra Levy, Medical Officer of Health. “This is a community-wide conversation and we want to hear from residents about what public health issues are important to them.”
“Like an annual check-up for individual patients, this report measures the health of the entire population and is an important step to determine how healthy Ottawa residents are,” said Dr. Douglas Manuel, community medicine specialist and a senior scientist in Clinical Epidemiology at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. “The report together with the survey will help OPH and its partners to focus attention on some of the key things that really matter to a truly healthy society.”
OPH provides services and programs and creates policies that advance health promotion and disease prevention in Ottawa. Supporting school, daycares and hospitals to implement Healthy Eating, Active Living programs and policies, tracking infectious diseases, providing vaccinations and conducting restaurant inspections are just a few of the essential public health services that touch the lives of Ottawa residents everyday.
For additional information, visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca or call Ottawa Public Health Information at 613-580-6744 (TTY: 613-580-9656).
Go to the survey: “Have Your Say” (only 5 minutes or less) Not that we want to influence you, but there is an option of ‘healthy cities, walk and bike’. And make sure you share this page with others through social media.