Think Upstream Project
Thinking upstream means looking at the social determinants of health
Think Upstream is a project of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives National Office. We’re working with a growing network of people who recognize that social, ecological, and economic conditions shape people’s health and the wellbeing of our communities. We call these the social determinants of health.
Your newsroom for social determinants of health
- Budgeting for well-being
- Public health and health equity
- A poverty reduction plan
- The determinants of health
- An inclusive economy
Our publications are available to all at no cost. Please support the CCPA and help make important research and ideas available to everyone. Make a donation today.
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We need saving, the earth will survive
“The present dominant global civilization is not healthy for the planet and thus not for us.” “Protecting life on Earth, including our own species, requires…
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We’re short on time for Reconciliation, but not on hope
“Our greatest source of hope is in the youth of today, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. They recognize and understand that injustice is unacceptable.” “Reconciliation cannot be…
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It’s time to stop dehumanizing Canadians with disabilities
“Colonialism, racism and ableism have intersected throughout Canada’s history to the detriment of our individual, community and national health.” “I worry about aging, my ability…
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No human should be homeless
“I realized was that providing healthcare and managing people’s medical condition, while important, failed to address some of the underlying challenges that were impacting their…
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Housing is health care
Welcome to Upstream Radio, where we dive deep into all the social and economic determinants of health. I’m Jared Knoll.
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Look upstream to improve mental health
“We need to look well beyond the health care system, to society as a whole.” “The physical environment also has an impact on mental wellbeing.”…
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Interview: raise the minimum wage?
The minimum wage standard should be within 60% of the average industrial wage. There are a lot of benefits to reaching this standard: better quality…
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The promise of the living wage
They are among the growing wave of employers in Ontario who pay their employees a living wage, which is considerably higher than the provincially mandated…
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Living wages make communities more resilient
“We accept a minimum wage so low that even if you’re working full time, you are among the working poor. That’s a category that we…
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Poverty Costs Resources
Poverty costs research looks at the economic cost of poverty and gives people an opportunity to voice their support for a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy.
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Healthy, wealthy, and why: social determinants of health, explained
In one of the first lectures of medical school, students are asked what they think the greatest factors are in deciding whether someone will be…
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Upstream: Talking differently about health
Yet political conversations about health still tend to fall into familiar traps. When we talk about health we return by reflex to doctors and nurses,…
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