Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Robert Strang

The Department of Health and Wellness was created in 2011, bringing together the departments of Health and Health Promotion and Protection.  As one, they form the government department that is dedicated to leading the health system that provides care to Nova Scotians while promoting and protecting health and preventing illness and injury.

As Chief Public Health Officer,  I lead a team and work with many others to address the complex issues facing our province related to improving health, protecting health and decreasing disparities across our province.  We recognize that an increasing emphasis on prevention must accompany care to ensure we have vibrant, economically sustainable and healthy communities.  Public health works with others to understand the health of communities and acts together to improve health. 

One of the keys to promoting health and preventing illness is to recognize the solutions require long term and comprehensive strategies.  These strategies need to focus on changing the social and physical environments where Nova Scotians live, work and play.  They need to address root causes such as poverty and education.  The solutions lie in working across government and with inter-sectoral partners.  This includes developing polices and programs and supports, that support individuals and communities.  All of this requires collaboration and commitment from all sectors, all government departments and all citizens.

The issues facing us are indeed challenging!  Public health is engaged in work related to healthy eating and physical activity, tobacco use, harmful patterns of alcohol consumption,  communicable disease, health impacts of environmental issues, early years to name a few.  If we do this work well, it will be a huge contribution in ensuring a sustainable health system for generations to come.

Everyone intuitively knows ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ and ‘a stitch in time, saves nine’.  Public health’s contribution to a sustainable health system is to raise understanding of the root causes of poor health and create the conditions for improving our collective health.  Please join me in being part of the change we want to see.  Become active, become engaged, be passionate about the things that matter to you.