Toronto Public Health releases Toronto’s Population Health Profile, a snapshot of the city’s health and wellbeing at a critical time

After three years of living with and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Toronto Public Health (TPH) is releasing Toronto’s Population Health Profile: Insight on the Health of Our City. The report provides a snapshot of Toronto’s health and wellbeing and will be presented at the next Board of Health meeting on Tuesday, February 21.

Building on the comprehensive 2019 T.O. Health Check: An Overview of Toronto’s Population Health Status report, the 2023 Profile provides an overview of Toronto’s current health status based on key data points. It is designed to focus community partners and all orders of government on the complex issues affecting the health and wellbeing of Torontonians.

This updated understanding of Toronto’s overall health status comes at a critical time, as the City of Toronto assesses the short- and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the city’s wellbeing. The findings of the Population Health Profile will inform future decision-making to address health inequities and improve the health of all Torontonians.

Key findings of Toronto’s Population Health Profile include:

• Torontonians are aging and increasingly diverse
• Torontonians are negatively impacted by the effects of an increasingly expensive city
• Climate change presents a significant and growing health risk despite improvements in Toronto’s natural and built environments
• Mental illnesses and mental health worsened during the pandemic, with some groups more affected
• Opioid overdoses reached record levels in 2021
• There was a significant decrease in testing and screening for many sexually transmitted infections during the pandemic period
• Chronic disease and its risks are increasing, as is the number of Torontonians who are overdue for health screening
• Infectious diseases will continue to emerge globally, presenting threats to Toronto’s population

Read Toronto’s Population Health Profile on the City’s website.

Quotes:

“This update to the City’s health status is a great appraisal of the situation on the ground for our residents. The data and findings in the Toronto Population Health Profile demonstrate that we are heading toward a serious crisis if we don’t act. Stakeholders, government partners and all those involved in health care – including mental health care and addiction services – need to be engaged and at the table if we are going to make improvements on these dire situations.”
– Councillor Chris Moise (Toronto Centre), Chair of the Board of Health

“The Toronto Population Health profile is a timely update that will inform and focus the discussion on critical public health issues of today, tomorrow and in a post-pandemic world. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are far-reaching and will be felt for an entire generation. The profile comes at an important juncture in our City’s history. As Council considers the 2023 Budget, we look to all orders of government to invest in solutions for a healthier and more prosperous city for all Toronto residents including transit, housing, and mental health and addictions supports.”
– Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Officer of Health

Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.