The departure of the Dr Horacio Arruda has caused a lot of ink to flow. In the broad world of public health, many of us are saddened by his resignation as national director, we who have long known of his deep commitment to public health issues that go far beyond COVID-19.
Posted at 11:00 a.m.
This letter is intended as a sincere thank you and a complement to the tributes already paid – and oh so well deserved! – to give space to the other fights he leads and which shape the healthier and fairer Quebec we know today. It is also an invitation, in future reflections on the model, not to limit our analysis to the pandemic reality alone.
Indeed, in the clamor of reactions, many have underlined his exceptional dedication over the past few months and the extraordinary difficulty of having navigated without a compass.
Few will have spoken of its contribution to the reduction of social inequalities, to the support of vulnerable populations, to the fight against smoking, to healthy lifestyles, to environments favorable to the health, development and social adaptation of young people, to the educational success of all children and other fundamental issues to develop a healthier and fairer Quebec.
Bringing public health out of the shadows
Since his appointment as national director of public health in 2012, his expertise, rigor and intelligence, as well as his energy and charisma, have been used to mobilize, equip and support a host of actors, within the government itself, in the scientists or in organizations like ours.
His expertise and qualities do not make the challenge less difficult: defending prevention and constantly reminding us of its profitability is a titanic job in a society preoccupied with emergencies, curative and short-term issues.
In Quebec, passionate people working in several sectors multiply their impact through their collaboration. This is particularly the case within the framework of the Quebec Healthy Food Table. The Dr Arruda is an occasional guest, always appreciated, who always pushes us to continue the fight for access to healthy eating and healthy lifestyles.
Moreover, the impact of Fondation Olo on babies would not be what it is, had it not been for an ally like Dr.r Arruda. Like us, he works to promote prevention, the importance of supporting families in the first 1,000 days of life and the goal that all children in Quebec can have the same chances of being born. and grow up healthy.
Light up every angle
Recently, several voices have been raised to demand a greater distance between the function of national director of public health and that of assistant deputy minister. Admittedly, the debate is healthy, but it will be necessary to make sure to hold it without the blinders of the pandemic.
Already, it is difficult for public health fights to emerge among the priorities and these are not sufficiently funded.
The prospect of a revision of the model which would accentuate the distance between its actors and the decision-makers leaves us perplexed and worried.
The next few years must be those of prevention. We cannot afford to make another choice. The COVID-19 crisis must have these benefits: public health expertise must be listened to more and health prevention and promotion must be more visible than before.
If the pandemic has the opposite effect, how will we explain this mess to future generations?