HEALTH CARE REFORMERS TAKE NOTE -
REDUCING POVERTY IMPROVES EVERYONE'S HEALTH,
FEBRUARY 6 NEWS CONFERENCE

JANUARY 31, 2002 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WINNIPEG - Governments planning health care reform need to include the recommendations of a new study showing that while women living in poverty may get sick and die sooner, Canada's income inequality means every income group is vulnerable to having poorer health and longevity.

The new study, called Women, Income and Health in Manitoba, will be released at a news conference on the main floor of the Women's Health Clinic (WHC), at 419 Graham Avenue, at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 6. The study was sponsored by the WHC, with support from a multi-stakeholder advisory committee, including government and community representatives.

"We want Manitobans to be aware of how low income not only affects the health of women living in poverty, but every income group up the economic ladder," says Barbara Wiktorowicz, the WHC's Executive Director. "We want them to know there are things that we can do now to change this, so we're releasing this study now because it's critical to the current debate. Preserving and enhancing medicare is a women's issue, but it affects everyone."

The study is part of an awareness project funded by the WHC and federal government. It contains the latest poverty statistics for women in Manitoba, which already has Canada's third highest poverty rate and second highest child poverty rate. The study also recommends what policy makers - both in health care and other sectors that influence people's health - can do to improve the health of low income women in Manitoba. The recommendations include providing them with dental and prescription drug benefits, making recreation, health information, and social services accessible to all women, and increasing the minimum wage and social assistance rates.

The WHC, established in 1981, is a community health centre that provides women-focussed health services with an emphasis on health education and prevention. It encourages women to learn all that they can about what contributes to their health and well-being, so that they can make informed decisions. It also brings together agencies and individuals for education and action on issues that significantly impact on women's health.

For more information, please check www.womenshealthclinic.org or contact:

• Gail Watson, Project Co-ordinator, WHC, Ph: (204) 947-2422, ext. 134;
  
• Barbara Wiktorowicz, Executive Director, WHC, Ph: (204) 947-1517, ext.102;
  
• Madeline Boscoe, Advocacy Co-ordinator, WHC, Ph: (204) 947-2422, ext.122.

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