News Release: May 23, 2019
Region of Peel – Public Health Releases “The Changing Landscape of Health in Peel - A Comprehensive Health Status Report 2019”
Brampton, ON. (May 23, 2019) – Today, the Region of Peel – Public Health released “The Changing Landscape of Health in Peel – A Comprehensive Health Status Report 2019”, which summarizes the status of health among Peel residents.
“Understanding local health trends is fundamental to delivering effective public health solutions,” says Dr. Jessica Hopkins, Medical Officer of Health for the Region. “Prioritizing the unique needs of our diverse and rapidly-growing population is key to preventing illness, injuries and outbreaks in Peel.”
Health data for Peel differ from Ontario in several ways. For example, Peel residents have:
- longer life expectancies (86.1 years for females; 82.6 years for males)
- lower rates of smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke; smoking rates in Peel declined from 20% to 11% over a 15-year period
- higher rates of diabetes, with the incidence rate for those aged 20 to 49 years doubling over the past 20 years
- higher rates of infectious diseases associated with international travel, such as hepatitis A, malaria, paratyphoid fever and typhoid fever
Other key health trends include:
- declining rates of many chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke and lung cancer
- no improvement in physical activity over the past decade; only 26% of Peel residents aged 12 years and older are physically active during leisure time
- increasing reports of opioids-related deaths, rising from 21 deaths in 2013 to 81 in 2017
- rising rates of emergency department visits for mental health disorders among Peel youth
Peel-specific data inform “made in Peel” strategies that respond to local needs. Public health plays a unique role in Canada’s publicly funded health system by focusing on preventing illness and injuries before they occur, reducing health disparities and responding to emergencies.
To learn more about the status of health in Peel, visit the health reports page to download the full report or Executive Summary.
Media Contacts
Ashleigh Hawkins
Communication Coordinator
Region of Peel
905-791-7800 x 4506
About Peel Region
In 2024, Peel Region marks its 50th anniversary. Peel Region works with residents and partners to create a healthy, safe, and connected Community for Life for approximately 1.5 million people and over 200,000 businesses in Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon. Peel's services touch the lives of residents every day. For more information explore peelregion.ca and follow us on X @regionofpeel and Instagram @peelregion.ca.
On December 13, 2023, the Ontario government announced that Peel Region will not be dissolved, and that Bill 112 legislation will be updated to reflect service delivery in Peel. Services for residents and businesses will continue without interruption. For updates and more information, visit Peel's transition page.
