HEALTHY LIVES FOR ALL The Dalla Lana School of Public Health is addressing the major health questions that shape our world.
How do we age successfully and happily — and then die a good death? How do we protect the most vulnerable communities from infectious diseases such as Ebola and Zika? How do we continue to improve the quality of our healthcare systems in a financially sustainable way? What are the upstream factors that determine the risk of developing obesity, diabetes and addiction, and how do we prevent them? And how does our food supply remain secure and nourishing in the face of threats from environmental pollution, diminishing air quality and rising sea levels? These are just some of the major questions that public health leaders are attempting to address. Public health focuses on preventing health issues rather than treating them after they occur, and serving entire populations rather than only those individuals seeking help for a particular health concern. It looks at the systems that deliver our health care, and the policies that shape them. It can seem like an elusive concept when we’re accustomed to clean water in our taps, safe roads in our communities, and contamination-free meat and vegetables in our supermarkets. Yet when systems break down — such as the E. coli outbreak in Walkerton, Ontario in 2000 or Canada’s tainted blood tragedy in the 1980s — and when fresh challenges arise — such as the epidemic of obesity and diabetes that now plagues Canada and much of the world — the need for public health knowledge, training and practice becomes startlingly evident. The University of Toronto recognizes this, which is why it re-established a school of public health in 2008. The School then became the University’s newest stand-alone faculty in 2013 — all made possible through the visionary leadership support of Paul and Alessandra Dalla Lana. The Dalla Lana School of Public Health is already a world leader in public health research, education and service. Its HIV Studies Unit was one of the first in the world to examine social and behavioural aspects of HIV transmission, disease impact and treatment; some of its faculty members played a vital role in overcoming the 2003 SARS crisis; and others are leading some of the largest population studies ever undertaken to examine risk factors and chronic diseases. Novel approaches like these are especially critical at this point in time. Health care is Canada’s single largest expenditure: upwards of $214 billion in 2014, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Particularly as our population ages, it is essential that we develop a sustainable health system for the future. There is an urgent need to invest in disease prevention and the factors that determine health and well-being, to improve the services that currently exist and the policies that impact health, and to work towards a world where all citizens have equal access to health care. For this reason, the Dalla Lana School of Public Health is aiming to raise $50 million through a fundraising campaign that is anchored in U of T’s Boundless campaign. This is a first for a Canadian public health school. With the support of our philanthropic collaborators, we will educate Canada’s future public health leaders, significantly influence health policies and practices, and uncover new knowledge that will help entire populations flourish. This investment in public health will move us towards a vision of ensuring healthy lives for everyone, both in Canada and around the world.
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