As featured in the media (see press release):

We’re pleased to announce that we have just published a new, comprehensive infographic on the state of health in Canada. The infographic, which shows how many Canadians suffer from major health conditions such as asthma and diabetes, or who are exposed to risk factors such as second hand smoke, is intended to help build awareness about health care and open data amongst Canadians.

This data is out there, but few people have been able to get an overview of the state of Canadian health until we put this infographic together. We wanted to make health data more accessible. People should be aware of how many Canadians are affected by illness and environmental risks that affect health.”

The data that supports the infographic was drawn from government sources, such as Health Canada, which is part of the Canadian government’s overall open data policy. The infographic contains many revealing bits of information, such as the fact that 2.4 million Canadians (about 8%) suffer from asthma, while a slightly lower number have mood disorders. The infographic also points out that about 4% of Canadians are exposed to second-hand cigarette smoke at home. Almost 17% of Canadians are exposed to second-hand smoke in public. The idea is to make Canadians aware of health risks they face day to day. The fact that almost one in five Canadians is breathing in tobacco smoke on an involuntary basis is a great example.

We plan to create visual representations of local health data for regions across Canada in the coming months. For more information, or for code to embed the infographic in a website, visit www.healthdoc.ca.

About HealthDoc.ca

HealthDoc.ca operates a large, searchable database of Canadian physicians and dentist. Users can enter their city into the search engine and see local, top-rated healthcare providers.