2007 National Vital Signs Report

Comments - Dr. Richard Lessard

Far from narrowing, the gap between the rich and poor of this country keeps growing wider, and socio-economic inequities cause inequities in health and well-being. In fact, poverty takes a heavy toll on various social aspects of health, including: under-education, addiction, job insecurity, sub-standard housing conditions, and inactivity.

The consequences of poverty are reflected in most social and health indicators: reduced life expectancy in general and, more specifically, a higher proportion of illnesses or psychosocial problems, low birth weight babies, developmental delays, school dropouts, teenage pregnancies, psychological distress, etc.

In an overall context of unprecedented wealth and technological progress, how can we explain that the health-outcome gap is getting wider, despite the significant sums of money governments allocate to fighting poverty? If we want to make any meaningful gains on the health front, we need to intensify our efforts to improve living conditions, particularly through better access to proper housing and a general improvement of quality of life in the communities where the need is greatest.

Richard Lessard, M.D., Director of Public Health, Montréal Regional Health and Social Services Board