Public Health in Focus
Public Health in Focus is a newsletter by Public Health Sudbury & Districts to inform our community on the public health issues of the day and is issued following our regular Board of Health meetings.
Words for Thought
November 2024
Preparing for challenges in public health
As 2025 approaches, many of our staff are engaged in planning Public Health programming for the year ahead. This forward-looking effort is central to our role, as we work to address both emerging challenges and persistent inequities in the population. While winter has yet to arrive in earnest, it feels as though we’re already navigating a season of change.
In the aftermath of the recent election results in the United States, much is being debated about the reasons for the outcome. There were—no doubt—many reasons underlying it with no simple explanation. But a key one we should recognize is the alienation and dissatisfaction that many people feel.
This discontent is reflected in public health indicators. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US life expectancy peaked in 2014 and has been falling for a decade. The only previous declines in life expectancy were during the Civil War and the First World War. Life expectancy in Canada peaked in 2019 after years of stagnation and has most recently shown signs of decline. Rising costs of living, economic insecurity, and widening inequities are shared concerns. Statistics Canada recently reported that nearly half of Canadians face significant struggles meeting day-to-day expenses, with rising costs hitting lower-income households the hardest. These trends signal mounting inequities and dissatisfaction that could erode public trust in institutions.
As we continue to plan for the year ahead, we must reflect on the lessons these challenges offer. Our ability to achieve meaningful, evidence-based progress depends on understanding and addressing the lived realities of those we serve.
To maintain trust, we must deeply and visibly listen to communities and understand their struggles. While evidence-based public health interventions often take time to show results and impact, we must acknowledge the frustration and impatience that accompany urgent needs. Bridging the gap between our science-driven approach and the lived realities of people requires clear communication, empathy, and responsiveness to broader social determinants of health.
Together, we can navigate this complex landscape and continue to make a meaningful impact and improve health outcomes for all.
M. Mustafa Hirji MD, MPH, FRCPC
Acting Medical Officer of Health and Chief Executive Officer
Need to do
Keep yourself and others safe this respiratory season
With the changing of weather brings the season of coughs and colds. Public Health provides information about local activity levels of respiratory illness, including COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Use multiple layers of protection (PDF) based on your personal situation and settings.
These layers include:
- being up-to-date on vaccinations
- staying home when ill
- improving the ventilation in indoor spaces
- wearing a well-fitted mask in indoor public settings
- washing hands frequently and thoroughly
- covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze
- following any requirements for protective measures in hospitals, long-term care homes, and other health care spaces
- using the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 self-assessment tool to learn about testing and treatment (if eligible), and measures you can take to protect others around you if you have respiratory illness symptoms
Public Health also reports data for active outbreaks in the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts. This information is specific to hospitals, long-term care homes, retirement homes, and congregate living settings.
Stay up-to-date with Public Health!
Did you know that we have social media channels devoted to providing engaging Public Health content? We also have dedicated French channels! Subscribe to our English and French social media platforms to regularly view news and updates about our programs, services, and clinics.
For the latest advice and updates, follow us on Facebook and X (Twitter) @PublicHealthSD or @SantePubliqueSD and visit our website. Don’t forget to share this information with friends and family.
Need to know
Board of Health appoints Associate Medical Officer of Health
On November 21, 2024, the Board of Health appointed Dr. Emily Groot as Associate Medical Officer of Health (AMOH) for Public Health Sudbury & Districts, starting January 6, 2025.
Dr. Groot will work as Acting Associate Medical Officer of Health until her appointment is approved by the Minister of Health.
Read about the appointment at phsd.ca
We strive for health equity by championing equal opportunities for health.
Working with partners to protect health and prevent infection
Public Health staff in the Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Hub support congregate living settings in protecting clients by preventing the spread of infection. Throughout October, our IPAC team offered 105 different services and supports including proactive assessments, educational sessions, and working with facility staff to safely respond to cases and outbreaks.
The IPAC Hub also hosted the third annual IPAC Training Series on October 18, 2024. A total of 42 staff members from multiple settings participated in the sessions! The session provided key education, tools, and resources to better assist clients in long-term care homes, retirement homes, and other congregate living settings.
Looking ahead
The IPAC team will use feedback gathered from this year’s session to help inform planning for the 2025 IPAC Training Series!
Organizing learning initiatives such as this one showcases our commitment to our strategic priority of Equal opportunities for health by supporting awareness, education, advocacy, and policy development to address the root causes of health inequities.
We strive for ongoing excellence in local public health practice, including demonstrating accountability and monitoring the effectiveness, impact, and quality of our programs and services.
Have a sexual health concern or question?
Visit our sexual health clinic!
Our sexual health clinic offers a variety of services including STI and pregnancy testing, counselling and treatment, and access to low-cost birth control methods. In October, there were 90 drop-in visits to the clinic related to sexually transmitted infections (STI), blood-borne infections, or pregnancy counselling. The team also completed a total of 430 telephone assessments resulting in 259 on-site visits.
Drop in or contact us to book an appointment!
Through a variety of our projects, we see our strategic priority of Excellence in public health practice in action for clients, communities, and stakeholders.
We establish relationships that lead to impactful partnerships, collaborations, and engagement.
Indigenous Engagement team hosts Knowledge Exchange alongside partners
Public Health has many longstanding and diverse partnerships with First Nations and Indigenous health services organizations. We are engaged in information sharing, planning, education, service provision, and research.
On October 22, our Indigenous Engagement team hosted the second virtual Knowledge Exchange with Indigenous partners.
Public Health staff shared information about dental care in Indigenous schools, the Summer Water Safety campaign, the recent Socio-Demographic Data Collection Project, and the Community Drug Strategies with Indigenous partners from First Nations and an urban Indigenous organization. Members from NOSM University were also in attendance and presented their Indigenous Youth Vaccine Hesitancy Project while N’Swakamok Friendship Centre shared their ARCH initiative; a program addressing youth transitioning out of care.
Looking ahead
Through the success of partnerships such as these, the Indigenous engagement team continues to create new learning opportunities and apply teachings to programming across Public Health. Learn more about the Indigenous engagement strategy on our website.
Public Health hosts Indigenous community members at a Fall Harvest Feast
On November 5, our Indigenous Engagement team hosted urban Indigenous community members for a Fall Harvest Feast. It was a highly interactive event where participants enjoyed a delicious Indigenous taco and actively participated in learning about public health and a Mino-bimaadiziwin Teaching with Nokomis Martina Osawamick.
The team connected with the community, heard their perspectives on public health matters, and listened to Indigenous voices.
Public Health shares insights on the toxic drug crisis at recent conference
Public Health believes that our society thrives when we work together to address complex issues. Across our service area, we are focused on finding solutions grounded in evidence to address the toxic drug crisis. This work is supported through collaborations with local Community Drug Strategies (CDS), where established.
As an example of our commitment, we recently participated in the N’Swakamok Native Friendship Centre’s Indigenous Opioid Homelessness Conference held on October 3, 2024. The presentation, titled The Toxic Drug Crisis: Recent Trends in Sudbury & Districts, provided approximately 100 community partners with an overview of the local and provincial trends that public health has been monitoring in relation to the drug toxicity crisis.
We remain committed to acting on recommendations from regional discussions, including those set forth in the Greater Sudbury Summit on Toxic Drugs. Those priorities are organized within three key streams:
- Health promotion
- Wrap-around supports
- Substance use care (harm reduction and treatment)
Looking ahead
Learn more about the CDS for the City of Greater Sudbury and its priorities as we address the crisis.
This work is grounded by our strategic priority of Impactful relationships. Though this work, we are collaborating in a way that is meaningful to identify, plan, implement, and evaluate initiatives and services to work toward improving the health of the population.
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This item was last modified on November 27, 2024