Hurdles to Health follows the day-to-day life of a woman and her family in Saskatoon. Through Della’s descriptions of her struggles to provide for her family, the film illustrates how poverty affects health and wellbeing. She talks about her concerns around housing, childcare, diabetes, access to nutritious and affordable food and social supports. The film also interviews Saskatoon’s Chief Medical Health Officer, the Tribal Chief of the Saskatoon Tribal Council, and the Executive Director of the Saskatoon Friendship Inn; who each articulate the challenges of people living in poverty and the need to address health through a broader framework. The film ends with a note from Dr. Cory Neudorf, Chief Medical Health Officer, who says, “The biggest thing you could do to improve people’s health is to spend a little less on healthcare and more on education, employment, social services and support.”
Hurdles to Health is part of the partnership Promoting Health Equity Project being led by Saskatoon Regional Health Authority.
Use this resource to
- facilitate discussion about how poverty affects health and well-being
- initiate discussion on the broader ways in which we can work to improve people’s health
- be introduced to the ongoing challenges of working-poor individuals and families
Reference
Saskatoon Health Region. 2012. Hurdles to Health. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLKpywfFD4c&feature=kp
Other documents
Saskatoon Poverty Reduction Partnership
Release
http://www.hpclearinghouse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/DellaHurdlestoHealth.pdf