There is overwhelming evidence of the impact of wealth on people’s health, according to a report.
The Canadian Medical Association’s What Makes us Sick report finds that 70% of people earning more than $60,000 annually describe their health as excellent or very good.
But of those earning less than $30,000 a year, only 40% said they were in good or excellent health.
One part of the report cites work done by McMaster University and The Hamilton Spectator, which looked at the difference in health outcomes based on where people lived in the City of Hamilton and their social factors such as income and education.
For instance, the life expectancy ranged from 86.3 years in a rich neighbourhood to just 65.5 years in a poor neighbourhood.
About one in seven Canadian children lives in poverty, which can be a greater predictor of cardiovascular disease and diabetes in adults than later-life circumstances.
More than 11% of working-age Canadians live in poverty, and, in 2010, about 400,000 full-time workers over the age of 25 made less than $10 an hour, which is less than poverty-line wages.
“As a country, we can do better in tackling issues around poverty, housing, early childhood development, food security and culture that can hinder a person’s chances to be healthy,” says CMA president Dr. Anna Reid. “There is no one sector responsible for making this happen. It has to be a joint effort, involving healthcare providers, governments, patients and Canadians from all backgrounds.”
The report also makes various recommendations and suggests that governments, in consultation with the life and health insurance industry and the public, establish a program of comprehensive prescription drug coverage to ensure all Canadians have access to medically necessary drug therapies.
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