Healthy Environments

Healthy environments help shape our world, allow us to achieve our goals and affect the physical, social and emotional well-being of our community.

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
POLICY ENVIRONMENT
Group of individuals out hiking

Social Environment

Good health allows us to achieve our goals, such as education, employment, or learning how to dance. Everyone should have a fair opportunity to be as healthy as possible no matter who they are, where they live, or what they have.

Social factors that impact your health:

Income
Education
Social Connections
Housing

What we do:

Public health community partners meeting to discuss a health project.
Work with Community Partners
Family sits on porch steps
Build Capacity for Equity
Public health staff meeting in a health unit boardroom.
Advocate for Healthy Policies
A couple talking about their relationship.
Promote Healthy Relationships
Young girl stands in a wheat field

Physical Environment

Our physical environment is a significant determinant of our health. The way our spaces are designed, built and maintained impacts our ability to move in those settings. It changes our ability to move through and be safe in our environment.

How our physical environment impacts your health:

Built Environment
Climate Change
Vector-Borne Disease
Air and Water Quality

What we do:

A tick in grass.
Mosquito Testing & Tick Identification
A hand holding a beaker of water with a beach in the background.
Beach Water Quality Surveillance
Mosquito on a person's arm
Vector Surveillance & Control (VBD Program)
An inspector holds up a specimen jar with a tick inside of it.
Investigate Health Hazards
Three office workers reflect on employee health
Work with Community Partners
Public health staff meeting in a health unit boardroom.
Work with Municipalities
Senior volunteer at food bank.
Advocate for Healthy Policies
Group of young planners looking at computer

Policy Environment

Policies are important determinants of health because they shape how resources are distributed in our society, and they shape which values guide that distribution. Policies shape the influence of different interests, which can be good or bad for our health.

How policy impacts our health:

Institutional/Organization Policies
Municipal Policies
Provincial and Federal Policies

What we do:

Public health staff meeting in a health unit boardroom.
Advocate for Health Policies
Three office workers reflect on employee health
Work with Municipalities
Public health community partners meeting to discuss a health project.
Work with Community Partners