CANADA, February 18 - The Chief Public Health Office has released the 2021 Chief Public Health Officer’s Report that provides a summary of the overall health of Islanders pre-pandemic.

The 2021 report provides an update to the 2016 Chief Public Health Officer’s Report: Health for All Islanders and the 2017 Children’s Report: Investing in Our Future.

“The key actions from this report are intended to guide efforts to improve health and wellness on PEI. The focus is on improving population health and reducing health inequities across PEI.”

- Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison

Health inequities are differences in health between population groups that arise due to social and economic conditions.

The report provides a summary of the overall health of Islanders by presenting indicators:

• population health status (i.e. Indicators related to disease rates)
• health determinants (i.e. indicators of social and behavioral factors that increase disease risk)

“The findings of this report show PEI is doing better than or as well as Canada on most indicators of health status due to lower disease rates,” Dr. Morrison said. “Although we are doing better in one category, PEI is challenged in areas of many health determinants, an area of concern for the Chief Public Health Office.”

The report’s findings indicate a need to focus attention in PEI to halt or change existing trends related to mental health, unhealthy eating, physical inactivity, smoking, and vaccine uptake among Grade 9 students specifically.  

“This is an important report that shines a light on what it will take to better support Islanders to achieve greater health equity,” Dr. Morrison said. “It is important that decisions, policies and programs in PEI are informed by evidence; basic needs such as housing, food, education and employment are met; and discrimination and stigma that lead to health inequalities are addressed.”

Media Contact: Samantha Hughes Health and Wellness (902) 316-1323 shughes@gov.pe.ca