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National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health – Healthy Built Environment Forum Webinar
March 17, 2020 @ 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health
Healthy Built Environment Forum Webinar
A Whole Systems Approach to Health Equity and Housing
Presenter:
Rabindra (Rob) Mahabeer MSc. CIPHI(C)
Public Health Inspector, Alberta Health Services
Tueday, March 17, 2020
11 AM – 12:30 PM Pacific Time
Health equity impacts housing in multiple ways. A population, community, and individual’s physical and social determinants of health interact with health inequities to produce measurable health inequalities often demonstrated through unsafe and unhealthy housing conditions. Environmental Public Health must be able to strategically adapt to working at all levels to fully address this complex situation. A whole systems approach understands that multi-level engagement opportunities exist and are met differently. Mediating strategy through evidence-informed policy is important. Gathering, collating, and synthesizing data to provide evidence is fundamental. Operational-based evidence presented in a cohesive and easily understood manner drives the iterative policymaking process. Using a single data structure, coordinating population- and individual-level engagement, and understanding health inequities are cornerstones of a whole-systems approach.
Alberta public health inspectors have regulatory authority to inspect rental accommodations and are often requested to advise on private housing. Acting from both a proactive and reactive posture, inspectors adopt both an enforcement and engagement role. This webinar will examine how health inspectors and other public health professionals can assess and identify health inequities associated with housing. The discussion portion will focus on how to apply evidence into action.
Presenter Bio
Rob Mahabeer is a public health inspector with 17 years’ experience in Food Safety/Special Projects (Capital Health/Alberta Health Services), and Health Education (AHS: Knowledge Management and Learning). Rob worked emergencies and disasters in Anzac (2002), Calgary/High River (2014), and Fort MacMurray (2016). He completed a Master’s degree in Health Promotion at the University of Alberta in 2013 focusing on Health Promotion in Environmental Public Health Practice. Health equity is a dual and complementary process to health promotion, not only enabling healthy choices but also understanding why making those choices and lifestyle changes is more difficult for some than others. Rob believes that public health inspectors are uniquely positioned to work with public, governmental, and non-governmental organizations to identify and facilitate health equity.
Webinar Format
The presentation portion will be approximately 30 minutes, followed by 45 minutes of Q&A and discussion questions. Participants will be able to chat via the chat box. More information about the Healthy Built Environment in Canada Online Discussion Forum can be found here http://www.ncceh.ca/content/healthy-built-environment-online-discussion-forum.