The government of Quebec is committed to spending more than $ 4 million to finance various urban health projects in Montreal, where socio-economic inequalities, aggravated by the pandemic, are felt more than in other large cities in the country. .
More than 500 people took part on Tuesday morning – virtually or in person – in the first edition of a conference entitled “Health and urbanity – Innovating for better living together” organized by the CIUSSS du Center-Sud-de-l’Île- from Montreal. For the occasion, several leading figures in the health sector, who became known in part to the general public during the pandemic, came to the Palais des congrès de Montréal. Among the 300 or so people present in a room in this downtown building in the morning, we could recognize the national director of public health Horacio Arruda and the regional director of public health of Montreal, Mylène Drouin.
“Regarding all lifestyle habits, we still have a certain step back from other large Canadian cities. “
By organizing this event, the Public Health of Montreal hopes to broaden the issue of health in the metropolis to the many related indicators, such as the economic situation, mobility, access to housing and public safety, which is of particular concern to the population. City these days. The concept of urban health comes from the World Health Organization and concerns in particular large cities.
“Cities have the power to improve health or to contribute despite themselves to making people sick,” said the President and CEO of the CIUSSS du Center-Sud-de-l’île-de-Montréal. , Sonia Bélanger, during a speech in front of the masked crowd, where was notably the general manager of the City, Serge Lamontagne.
The challenges facing Montreal in terms of urban health are numerous. The second most populous city in the country is indeed in a bad position compared to other major metropolises in the country, such as Vancouver and Toronto, on several points, said Tuesday the DD Drouin.
“We are the second most populous city, but on all the social determinants, we are far from being in a very advantageous position. Obviously, we have a population that is more aging, we have more single-parent families […] We have more people below the low income cut-off, more single people and tenants, ”she said in front of hundreds of experts and captivated citizens.
“On the whole of the habits of life, we still have a certain step back compared to the other large Canadian cities”, added the expert in public health, noting that the metropolis also has a greater proportion of smokers. and people with “low education” than other large cities in the country.
Call for projects
In order to correct the situation, the Minister responsible for the Metropolis, Chantal Rouleau, unveiled Tuesday, at the opening of this conference, the launch by the Secretariat to the metropolitan region of a new call for projects called “For a connected community”. Between now and March 15, community groups and other non-profit organizations will be able to try their luck to obtain funding in order to carry out various projects devoted, for example, to improving food security or preventing crime in the Greater Montreal area. Montreal region. Quebec plans to spend more than $ 4 million for these initiatives, which will have to be launched between 1er June and December 31, 2022.
“The pandemic has really brought to light the socio-economic inequalities on the territory and made sure that we have results, consequences of that which can be dramatic. But there are situations that we can also recover and we act ”, argued Mr.me Rouleau, interviewed at To have to on the sidelines of this event.
The Minister also called on the participants in this conference to “work” to find concrete solutions to the challenges of urban health in Montreal. “Suggest things to us and we’ll help you,” she said on Tuesday.
Diversity
The issues of diversity and inclusion in the health network also occupied an important place in this conference. The importance of adapting the health care offer to indigenous people and people from ethnocultural minorities was discussed in particular in the morning during two separate workshops.
“We have so much to do for the Aboriginal component […] It is our founding people and I think that there too, there is a whole awareness to be made for these people and how we adapt the services and that we reach them ”, moreover raised Sonia Bélanger, in interview with the To have to Tuesday.
At the Joliette hospital, the death of Joyce Echaquan and the proceedings in court of two Atikamekw women from Manawan who allege having been sterilized there against their will have shaken Quebec in recent months and thus demonstrated the importance of questioning health care that is available to Aboriginal people in the province.
“We have to learn [des Autochtones] and we know that there are often people in aboriginal communities who are very vulnerable, who are homeless, who experience drug addiction problems. […] So, how do we approach them, understand their culture, reach them where they are? This is also the challenge of urban health, ”added Mr.me Bélanger.