It's a new approach to politics and a recipe for better health says Saskatoon's Dr. Ryan Meili. Author of 'A Healthy Society.' Meili will be in Yorkton Saturday to talk about his new book and to share his thoughts on taking a more political approach to a healthier lifestyle.
Drawing on his experiences as a family physician in the inner city of Saskatoon, Mozambique, and rural Saskatchewan, Meili argues that health delivery too often focuses on treatment of immediate causes and ignores more fundamental conditions that lead to poor health. "Income, education, employment, housing, the wider environment, and social supports: far more than the actions of physicians, nurses, and other health care providers, it is these conditions that make the greatest difference in our health," he says. Brought to life by patient stories, A Healthy Society explores a number of specific health determinants, and ends in a discussion of democratic reforms that could help reshape the way we organize ourselves to create a truly healthy society.
It's Meili's belief that a new approach to politics can bring about a new and healthier society.
"While I've been able to offer some assistance as a doctor it can be frustrating because really you just send people out of the hospital or the clinic, back into the lives that made them sick," he explained in a recent interview with The News Review.
"So what I write about in this book are those upstream elements, the things that make a real difference in our life and we call them the social determinants of health.
"I write about the impact of those and just how that concept can actually change how we do politics."
Income, education, employment, social supports, housing, nutrition... are all determinants when it comes to health. "Way down on the bottom around number 10 is healthcare," suggests Meili. "That often is what we think of as having the biggest impact but it's really quite far down the list when you look at the research."
Currently, adds Meili, there is a lack of focus within the political system on health and that he says, needs to be brought to the forefront.
"The next step is having an understanding of the determinants of health... the third step is digging into those individual determinants and looking at some of the ways we can make sure that income is more fairly distributed so that everybody actually has the chance to have a decent standard of living.
"How can ensure that education is high quality and accessible? I also (in the book) get into healthcare as well and talk about ways we can improve access and quality."
Ultimately, Meili says he would like to be a part of a conversation that leads society to undertake politics in a way that will improve people's lives.
"Right now I think we do politics in a way that gets people elected and we do it in a way that perhaps is serving the interest of some sectors of society and it's turning people off. People are voting less and the outcome isn't getting any better... people are starting to fall behind, life expectancy is actually falling...
"I'm thinking we need to try to reinvigorate politics with a more socially oriented goal and health is one of the ways we can do that."
Meili is currently a family doctor at the West Side Community Clinic in Saskatoon. He also works for the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan as head of the Division of Social Accountability, where he's responsible for helping ensure that Sask-at-chewan's future doctors are equipped to meet the health needs of the diverse communities they will serve. Ryan also serves as vice-chair of the national advocacy organization, Canadian Doctors for Medicare.
Politics is another of his passions. In 2009 he ran for leadership of the Saskatchewan NDP Party and he's thinking about running again. "I did okay at that time. I came in second place... and I'm giving some very strong thought to 'putting my money where my mouth is' and taking a shot at seeing if these ideas really do translate into a better kind of politics."
Ryan Meili is making an appearance at the Yorkton Public Library on August 25 from 3 to 5 p.m. Prior to that, he is having a book signing at Coles from noon to 2 p.m. His new book is called "A Healthy Society" (www.ryanmeili.ca/). Meili says he is happy to have a discussion with anyone interested in his topic at those times.
