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Hospital waitlists and doctor shortages get the headlines.
But Tyee legislative bureau chief Andrew MacLeod persuasively argues in his latest book All Together Healthy that the real path to healthier communities lies in addressing poverty and inequality and improving life for families.
It’s an issue we invite you to explore with us Wednesday, June 20, at HiVE Vancouver, where MacLeod, BC Health Coalition co-chair Edith MacHattie and Jenny Morgan, director of Indigenous health at the BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre, will talk about health care and the best ways to keep more people healthy for longer. Tyee founding editor David Beers will facilitate the discussion.
Tyee editor Barry Link said the topic of the event — All Together Healthy: Social equity and the future of B.C.’s health care system — is important.
“Andrew’s book demonstrates that the best way to improve our health is to address things like childhood poverty,” Link said. “We want to help jumpstart the discussion on fixing the real causes of poor health, instead of responding once people are sick.”
In All Together Healthy MacLeod presents research, both Canadian and international, and personal stories to show how our health is affected more by the nature of our society than the medical system.
“Most people are less aware of how strong the evidence is that better supporting social services, particularly when it comes to helping families raising children, would have a much bigger impact on the average Canadian’s health than spending more on the health-care system,” he told The Tyee.
“Part of the challenge is encouraging governments to support changes that probably won’t pay off for a decade — but will bring big health improvements,” MacLeod said. “Especially when there’s immense pressure to spend more on the latest drugs and tests, at times without much evidence that they'll in fact improve anyone’s health.”
“I’m looking forward to the discussion with Jenny and Edith and to hearing people’s ideas” he said. “We know what to do to have a healthier society, but we aren’t making it happen.”
The event, which is also the Vancouver launch for MacLeod’s book, will be Wednesday, June 20, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at HiVE Vancouver, 210-128 West Hastings. It’s co-sponsored by the HiVE and The Tyee. There’s no charge, and copies of the book will be available for sale. ![[Tyee]](/design-article.thetyee.ca/ui/img/yellowblob.png){kind=small}
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