This book is about the determinants of health status ‑‑ that is, what makes some populations healthier than others. It reviews recent literature about the determinants of population health status and points out that health depends on much more than the availability of formal health services.

The importance of income, education, social supports and other social and economic determinants of health are discussed. Interestingly, these are areas that are traditionally viewed as outside the mandate of the formal health system, but they are also areas where community‑based, volunteer organizations have a long and distinguished history of commitment and success.

The book suggests that if we are really interested in improving the health status of Canadians, we ought to look more closely at ways the formal health system can work much more closely with community‑based, voluntary organizations. A number of specific strategies for cooperating across sectors are discussed, and case studies where these techniques have been utilized are reviewed.

169 pages. Softcover. This book is published by The Muttart Foundation, from The Muttart Fellowship Projects