Inventory of Evidence on Health Equity Interventions and Analysis/Synthesis of Findings to inform immediate and long-term action on health equity and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic period and beyond

In 2018, PHAC, supported by CIHI and StatCan, released a report titled Key Health Inequalities in Canada: A National Portrait. The aim of the report is to support regular reporting of health inequalities in Canada, based on a set of health outcome and health determinant indicators proposed by the Pan-Canadian Public Health Network (PHN) in the 2009 Indicators of Health Inequalities report.　 Findings from the Key Health Inequalities in Canada report highlighted significant health inequalities in common behavioural risk factors for chronic disease. In light of this, PHAC wishes to assess the current state of evidence to reduce health inequities in this domain.

COVID-19 has exposed and amplified persistent inequalities that undermine public health’s goal of achieving optimal health for all. Many of these are the result of individuals’ and groups’ relative social, political, and economic disadvantages. Such inequalities affect peoples’ chances of achieving and maintaining good health over their lifetimes. Where inequalities in health outcomes, or in access to the resources that support health, are systematic (that is, the patterns of difference are consistently observable between population groups) and can plausibly be avoided or ameliorated by collective action, they may be deemed unjust and inequitable.

The objective of this contract is to identify, assess for quality, analyze, and synthesize the best available evidence on the types of upstream and/or downstream interventions that help to reduce health inequities in relation to the main common behavioral/morbidity risk factors for chronic disease (e.g., obesity, unhealthy eating, physical inactivity, smoking, problematic alcohol use, etc.).