Municipal elections have more to do with our health than many people think. Municipal public health departments are the first defence against infectious outbreaks. The recent SARS outbreak in Toronto shows how important public health funding is and how chronic underfunding puts people at risk. In the recent SARS outbreak, all regular health programs were cancelled because there was no surge capacity to deal with an emergency in the system. Antiquated equipment meant that public health workers were hamstrung in their attempt to track and control the spread of infection. Here is a brief overview of some issues that we all should talk to our local candidates about:

• Infectious disease control (tracking and control of illnesses such as SARS).
• West Nile virus
• Child poverty and low birth weights
• Dental care for seniors
• Sexual health promotion
• Smoking by-laws
• Parenting for healthy babies
• Chronic disease prevention
• Healthy lifestyles promotion
• Restaurant inspections

Will our local candidates support increased funding to improve the capacity of public health departments? Are our local candidates going to support and improve programs that support illness and injury prevention and health promotion?

Do they support grants to local social services and health agencies to provide support and help to community members? Do they support universal access to these programs and services without user fees or other charges that bar access?

Most ambulance services in Ontario are municipally run and public. There have been unsuccessful attempts to privatize these services. Currently, more and more patients are transferred between hospitals using unregulated, for-profit companies that don't use paramedics. This is an important issue in infection control. Some municipalities own and operate long-term care facilities for seniors.

Municipalities also have the power to regulate private retirement homes that currently have little or no protection for the rights and safety of residents in most parts of the province.

Do our local candidates recognize and commit to supporting and improving municipal programs that relate to the biggest determinants of health?

• Income equality and the eradication of poverty
• Access to quality education
• Absence of violence (domestic or other)
• A clean and healthy environment

• Contaminated soil
  
• Air quality
  
• Public transit
  
• Pesticide control
  
• Waste management systems

All of these issues are clearly related to human health and are in the purview of municipal governments. Are our local candidates going to improve our local environments by pursuing policies of contamination clean-up, improved air quality through more public transit and reduced emissions, pesticide reduction and municipal programs to reduce waste and promote recycling?