We inform and advise on policy and practice in order to promote health and reduce chronic disease and preventable injury throughout the province.
Our team is part of the Population and Public Health service line. We have expertise in epidemiology and biostatistics, project management, knowledge translation and leadership as well as in various content areas related to prevention and health promotion.
The Prevention and Health Promotion program informs and advises policy and practice on emerging and priority population health issues. We focus on prevention approaches that aim to enhance the health of British Columbians where they live, learn, work and play. We exchange and mobilize credible knowledge for action with a variety of partners.
Our activities fall into three main areas:
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knowledge generation and synthesis - creates and synthesizes knowledge for action. For example: data collection, analysis & interpretation, evidence reviews, indicators, discussion papers, and reports
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knowledge exchange - creates and supports partnerships and collaborations through facilitation and leadership. For example: forming, leading, and participating in steering committees, working groups, focus groups, dialogue, conferences, forums, and networks
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capacity building – strengthens the ability of internal and external stakeholders for individual and collective action on population health issues. For example: provide training, workshops, webinars, checklists, and other tools.
We work with partners across the province, including the Ministry of Health, the regional health authorities, and non-government organizations to prevent chronic disease and preventable injury, promote health equity and address key population health areas.
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Food Security – we work to increase physical, social and economic access to nutritious, safe and personally acceptable food with a focus on increasing the availability of healthy food produced in a sustainable manner.
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Healthy Built Environment – we provide evidence based resources and build partnerships to support local planning and design that is health promoting, sustainable and equitable.
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Healthy Eating – we promote healthy eating in B.C. by leading and facilitating intersectoral collaboration on the development of provincial healthy eating resources for health professionals and the general public, supporting the development of food skills and supporting a coordinated, consolidated approach to providing nutrition care in public health and primary care settings.
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Injury Prevention – we lead and participate in coalitions to inform the development of policies and strategies to prevent injury.
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Health Equity – we examine the impact of the social determinants of health on chronic disease outcomes within BC communities, including presenting findings on prioritized
health equity indicators.
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Population Health Surveillance – we collect, link, analyze, interpret and share data on the socio-economic determinants of health and chronic disease.
