BW calls for Health Assessment of all Government Expenditures

BW has recommended to the Government review of the Health Care System that all departments be required to produce health impact assessments for future policies and programs.

The government must invest in programs and infrastructure that nudge Manitobans toward healthy outcomes, and refrain from investing in those which do the opposite. In particular, the Government should review the health impact of investments in transportation systems, plans and infrastructure that encourage the use of personal automobiles – which increase sitting time, stress and intake of pollution — over modes such as cycling, walking and transit which increase physical activity. Economic studies show that shifting citizens from motor vehicles to active transportation for short trips offers one of the highest pay-backs among preventative health measures available to government.

We attached information on a sample of studies which show the link between health costs and lack of physical activity, sitting too much, and breathing polluted air, as well as links to tools used to assess the health impact of government expenditures.

See: full BW submission to MB Health Care Review