Promoting Good Health

Working for Change

Promoting Good Health

For more than 60 years, the Council on Health Promotion (COHP) has been advocating to improve the health of British Columbians and the standard of health care in BC. With a focus on community health, health promotion, and quality of health care, this Doctors of BC committee plays a large role through its sub-committees, advocacy work, policy papers, and public campaigns.

COHP is comprised of five sub-committees, each dedicated to a different aspect of health promotion and injury and disease prevention:

  • Athletics and Recreation Committee
  • Geriatrics and Palliative Care Committee
  • Emergency Medical Services Committee
  • Environmental Health Committee
  • Nutrition Committee

In the past, COHP has been a big proponent of and pushed legislation for infant car seats, mandatory bicycle helmets, and banning the use of cell phones while driving. 

Each year COHP facilitates two public campaigns designed to get British Columbians moving. Doctors of BC provides guidance and support for these campaigns, which include: 

Going Green at Doctors of BC

We're making a difference by reducing our carbon footprint to help make the world a better place for our collective future. Learn what we’re already doing by going green, and what activities we have planned for the future. Watch for updates to this page indicating how you too can green your offices.

Walk with your Doc

Walk with your Doc takes place each May and involves physicians around the province organizing and hosting a short walk with their patients to impress upon them the benefits of daily exercise. 

Be Active Every Day 

Each fall, Be Active Every Day encourages our elementary schools kids throughout the province to get moving for 60 minutes every day. Physicians organize fun activities for students, and students keep a record of their activities. They also have the opportunity to win some great, activity related prizes. 

Open Mind BC

In addition to its public campaigns, COHP researches and develops policy papers. COHP’s 2014 policy project addressed the topic of youth mental health. The two key outputs from this project are the policy paper Reaching Out: Supporting Youth Mental Health in British Columbia and the website information hub - openmindbc.ca. The website includes mental health tools and resources for youth, young adults and their families, teachers, and health care providers.