The NBHC has been updating and monitoring provincial population health indicators for the past six years. Its most recent updates are accompanied with an urgent message regarding population health trends and the provincial health system’s inadequate response to these trends.
New Brunswick ranks last among the ten provinces on the percentage of the population that perceives their general health or their mental health as “very good” or “excellent”. As for having pain or discomfort preventing activities, it ranks 9th out of 10.
“The proportion of the population with a chronic condition is growing and chronic conditions are appearing in younger age groups. The current trend is that a growing proportion of people are developing additional conditions as they age,” says Stéphane Robichaud, CEO of the NBHC. “The demographic trends have not taken the system by surprise; they have been expected and should have been better taken into account during planning efforts.”
The NBHC has developed population health snapshots that compare New Brunswick to the Canadian average and also include rankings for each of the seven provincial health zones. The tool also offers a top ten list of chronic conditions for each targeted population and the top ten reasons for hospital admissions. This information, including a report titled “Recognizing and Focusing on Population Health Priorities”, can be found at nbhc.ca.
The NBHC has been established as an independent organization that measures, monitors and evaluates New Brunswick’s health system performance through a citizen-centered dual mandate of performance measurement and citizen engagement.
MEDIA CONTACTS: New Brunswick Health Council: Christine Paré, 506-869-6714, Christine.Pare@nbhc.ca