Canada gets a poor grade on its population health, according to research by the Conference Board of Canada.
The study ranks Canada in 10th place for population health among 17 countries (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S.). In addition, the board gave Canada a relatively poor “C” grade on mortality rates due to cancer, diabetes and musculoskeletal system diseases in comparison to its international peers. If Canada earned an “A” grade on these three indicators, it would move up to 4th place overall.
“Canada is facing a growing burden from chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer. This burden is expected to increase due to an aging population and rising rates of obesity,” said Gabriela Prada, director of health, innovation, policy and evaluation with the Conference Board of Canada. “The future health of Canadians depends not only on the quality of the healthcare system, but also on education about chronic disease risk factors and increased emphasis on prevention.”
Canada did score well in some areas, however. The study gave Canada an “A” grade on self-reported health status, mortality due to circulatory diseases and premature mortality, and a “B” grade on mortality due to mental disorders and mortality due to respiratory diseases. Overall, Canada was graded a “B” when compared to the other 16 countries.
While Canada has made progress in reducing the mortality rate for cancer, diabetes and musculoskeletal system diseases, the overall number of cases is increasing, likely due to the aging of the population and lifestyle factors.
Japan, Switzerland, and Italy earned overall “A” grades. These top-performing countries achieve better outcomes by taking actions to influence and improve the broader determinants of health, such as environmental stewardship. Health promotion programs that focus on changes in lifestyles—including reducing smoking rates, increasing physical activity and promoting healthier diets and safer driving habits—contribute to overall population health.
Ireland, Denmark and the U.S. were at the bottom of the ranking.