Your postal code —where you live—is one of the strongest predictors of your health. With 80 per cent of people in Canada living in cities, understanding what can be done in an urban context to promote better health and equity across populations is a critical area of research.

“As we work to make Canada healthier, we need to understand the important needs of urban communities. Supporting these six research teams will help us ensure equitable health outcomes for all people in Canada, especially marginalized populations in bigger cities. The knowledge generated by these research teams will influence policies, programs, and community planning, ultimately leading to healthier cities and a healthier people.”

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health

“We know that eating healthy and exercising leads to better health, but where you live has an impact on your health, too. Access to healthy food, the cost of housing, and availability of reliable transportation are just some of the environmental factors that impact our health. The research we are investing in today will give us a better understanding of what interventions work, for whom and why—yielding critical knowledge to improve the health of all people living in Canada.”

Adam van Koeverden
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport

“With most Canadians living in urban areas, knowing how to maximize the health-promoting potential of cities could help address some of the major barriers to health equity that we see in this country. CIHR is proud to partner with the PHAC and the Australia's NHMRC to support public health research that has the power to make our cities healthier, more liveable, and more equitable.”

Dr. Christian Baron
Vice-President of Research, Canadian Institutes of Health Research

• The environments we live, work, and play in are critical to our health, development, and well-being.

• The Healthy Cities Research Initiative, a 10-year, $43+ million research program supported by CIHR and numerous partners, is committed to maximizing the potential of urban areas to promote better health and equity across all populations.

• CIHR Institutes co-leading the Healthy Cities Research Initiative are the Institute of Population and Public Health; Institute of Aging; Institute of Gender and Health; Institute of Health Services and Policy Research; Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis; and the Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes.

• Of the funding announced today, CIHR is investing $17.8 million into the research of the six successful teams. The teams are eligible for up to an additional $9 million in funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Healthy Canadians & Communities Fund and $5 million AUD from Australia’s National Health & Medical Research Council to expand the impacts of the projects and provide more opportunities for the researchers to interact with decision makers.

Associated links

• Healthy Cities Research Initiative

Marie-France Proulx
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health
613-957-0200

Media Relations
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
mediarelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

At the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) we know that research has the power to change lives. As Canada's health research investment agency, we collaborate with partners and researchers to support the discoveries and innovations that improve our health and strengthen our health care system.