Overview: The Intersectoral Action Fund

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Context

In recent years, communities across Canada have faced immense and complex public health challenges, which amplified the need for better prevention, preparedness and resiliency of our public health system. These challenges do not impact populations equally; the risk for poorer health outcomes is greater among communities facing pre-existing social, economic, or environmental dimensions of marginalization, including those related to racism, discrimination, and colonization. 

There is a growing focus on community resilience in public health systems and other sectors. This highlights the need to look beyond immediate responses and move towards building a foundation that will keep communities healthy, prepared and thriving, even during unexpected events. In addition, there is a growing focus on health promotion approaches that include collaboration between different groups and taking action to improve the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work and age – these are the social determinants of health (SDOH). This collaboration and action is known as intersectoral action (ISA). Effective ISA and community action recognise that good health is a shared goal and responsibility among many sectors, organizations, and actorsFootnote 1.  

The Intersectoral Action Fund (“the Fund”) is a program that supports communities to build capacity to advance ISA and strengthen local resiliency.

About the Intersectoral Action Fund

Objective

The objective of the Fund is to support action on the SDOH by strengthening capacity in communities to advance upstream ISA, in ways that improve population health, reduce health inequities, and strengthen community resiliency.

Principles

The guiding principles of the Fund include:

2024 Funding opportunity

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is inviting eligible organizations to apply to the Intersectoral Action Fund (“the Fund”) for funding to support intersectoral policy action on the social determinants of health and community resilience. Specifically, the current funding opportunity will support projects that integrate health, equity and wellbeing considerations into local decision-making, and promote positive change. This funding opportunity acknowledges the beneficial and purposeful impact that equity-focused policy change can have on the long-term health and ability of communities to recover from challenges (community resiliency).

Interested parties are invited to read through the Apply for the Fund page. This page outlines important information, how to apply and the application deadline. It is the applicant’s responsibility to read through the Applicant Guide to ensure that they understand the eligibility criteria and other important information before submitting their application.

Footnote 1

Public Health Agency of Canada (2022). “A Vision to Transform Canada’s Public Health System.” Canada.ca. Accessed May 2, 2024. https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/phac-aspc/documents/corporate/publications/chief-public-health-officer-reports-state-public-health-canada/state-public-health-canada-2021/cpho-report-eng.pdf.

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