Page 13 - OOHNA Spring-Summer 2017
P. 13
n Practice
WHen Silence iS nOt gOlDen:
unDerStanDing tHe true cOStS Of
nOn-cOmmunicable DiSeaSe in tHe
WOrkplace by Elizabeth Rankin-Horvath and Denise Ropp
it has been said that silence is • respiratory diseases; mature deaths among canadians.
•
golden. in the right context, cardiovascular diseases; and treatment of chronic disease con-
yes, but not when it comes to • diabetes. sumes 67% of all direct health
understanding the true costs depression was also noted as
care costs, and costs the canadian
of non-communicable diseases a significant condition that was economy $190 billion annually –
(Ncds) to your organization. Why? often, but not always related to $68 billion is attributed to treat-
Because employees are the life- these Ncds. ment and the remainder to lost
force of organizations and keeping productivity.
WHo (2010) has also recog-
them healthy has the most sig- nized that the presence of Ncds
nificant impact on the success and increases the risk of injury relat- Economic burden of mental
sustainability of the organization. ed disability and death, and vice illness is heaviest
it’s time to break the silence. versa. the uN High council called the Opening Eyes, Opening
in 2006, the integrated Ben- on governments around the world Minds: The Ontario Burden of
efits institute reported that nearly to take urgent measures toward a Mental Illness and Addictions
half of american cFos surveyed target to reduce premature mor- Report (2012), stated that
believe that health-related lost
tality from these diseases by 25%
time has an adverse effect on “onset of mental illness and
by 2025. So far, the strategies
business performance; however, adopted by member countries are addiction issues often occurs
most chief financial officers (cFos) having a positive effect, (WHo, at a young age and can per-
are surprisingly ill-informed on just 2014) but there is still a long way sist throughout life, with a
how much health-related issues to go. significant impact on social
are costing their organizations. By Non-communicable diseases connections, educational goals
extrapolation, we can assume the (Ncds) are extolling a heavy bur- and workforce participation.
situation in canada is no different. den on our economy and costing the impact of mental illness
and addiction on life expec-
Global Health Crisis employers billions in lost production. tancy, quality of life and health
in 2015, Statistics canada pub- care utilization is significant – in
the united Nations High council lished the initial Findings from many cases, more so than with
met in New York in September the Canadian Survey on Disabil- other medical conditions – yet
2011 to develop a global strategy ity (cdS), which revealed that 3.8 is often under-recognized.”
to combat the global pandemic million adult canadians (13.7%)
of non-communicable diseases reported being limited in their the report conservatively esti-
(Ncds). it was only the second daily activities due to a disabil- mated the economic burden of
time that the uN High council ity. Furthermore, the Public Health mental illness and addictions in
met over a health issue. the first agency of canada reported that ontario at more than 1.5 times
was aidS, which is an indicator three out of five canadians adults that of all cancers combined and
of the gravity and urgency of the over the age of 20 have at least seven times that of all infectious
Ncds problem. the World Health one chronic disease, and four out diseases. although treatment for
organization (WHo) Global Sta- of five canadians are at risk, and some of these mental illnesses is
tus report on Non-communicable chronic disease is increasing at an effective in many cases, treatment
diseases (2010) reported that that alarming rate of 14% each year. rates are very low.
Four major chronic diseases (car-
more than 60% of the world’s the Mental Health commission
population was dying prematurely diovascular disease, respirato-of canada reports that nearly one
from four Ncds: ry disease, diabetes and cancer) in five canadians experience a
• cancers; account for nearly 75% of pre-mental health or addiction prob-
OOHNA JOURNAL n spRiNg/sUmmeR 2017 11
WHen Silence iS nOt gOlDen:
unDerStanDing tHe true cOStS Of
nOn-cOmmunicable DiSeaSe in tHe
WOrkplace by Elizabeth Rankin-Horvath and Denise Ropp
it has been said that silence is • respiratory diseases; mature deaths among canadians.
•
golden. in the right context, cardiovascular diseases; and treatment of chronic disease con-
yes, but not when it comes to • diabetes. sumes 67% of all direct health
understanding the true costs depression was also noted as
care costs, and costs the canadian
of non-communicable diseases a significant condition that was economy $190 billion annually –
(Ncds) to your organization. Why? often, but not always related to $68 billion is attributed to treat-
Because employees are the life- these Ncds. ment and the remainder to lost
force of organizations and keeping productivity.
WHo (2010) has also recog-
them healthy has the most sig- nized that the presence of Ncds
nificant impact on the success and increases the risk of injury relat- Economic burden of mental
sustainability of the organization. ed disability and death, and vice illness is heaviest
it’s time to break the silence. versa. the uN High council called the Opening Eyes, Opening
in 2006, the integrated Ben- on governments around the world Minds: The Ontario Burden of
efits institute reported that nearly to take urgent measures toward a Mental Illness and Addictions
half of american cFos surveyed target to reduce premature mor- Report (2012), stated that
believe that health-related lost
tality from these diseases by 25%
time has an adverse effect on “onset of mental illness and
by 2025. So far, the strategies
business performance; however, adopted by member countries are addiction issues often occurs
most chief financial officers (cFos) having a positive effect, (WHo, at a young age and can per-
are surprisingly ill-informed on just 2014) but there is still a long way sist throughout life, with a
how much health-related issues to go. significant impact on social
are costing their organizations. By Non-communicable diseases connections, educational goals
extrapolation, we can assume the (Ncds) are extolling a heavy bur- and workforce participation.
situation in canada is no different. den on our economy and costing the impact of mental illness
and addiction on life expec-
Global Health Crisis employers billions in lost production. tancy, quality of life and health
in 2015, Statistics canada pub- care utilization is significant – in
the united Nations High council lished the initial Findings from many cases, more so than with
met in New York in September the Canadian Survey on Disabil- other medical conditions – yet
2011 to develop a global strategy ity (cdS), which revealed that 3.8 is often under-recognized.”
to combat the global pandemic million adult canadians (13.7%)
of non-communicable diseases reported being limited in their the report conservatively esti-
(Ncds). it was only the second daily activities due to a disabil- mated the economic burden of
time that the uN High council ity. Furthermore, the Public Health mental illness and addictions in
met over a health issue. the first agency of canada reported that ontario at more than 1.5 times
was aidS, which is an indicator three out of five canadians adults that of all cancers combined and
of the gravity and urgency of the over the age of 20 have at least seven times that of all infectious
Ncds problem. the World Health one chronic disease, and four out diseases. although treatment for
organization (WHo) Global Sta- of five canadians are at risk, and some of these mental illnesses is
tus report on Non-communicable chronic disease is increasing at an effective in many cases, treatment
diseases (2010) reported that that alarming rate of 14% each year. rates are very low.
Four major chronic diseases (car-
more than 60% of the world’s the Mental Health commission
population was dying prematurely diovascular disease, respirato-of canada reports that nearly one
from four Ncds: ry disease, diabetes and cancer) in five canadians experience a
• cancers; account for nearly 75% of pre-mental health or addiction prob-
OOHNA JOURNAL n spRiNg/sUmmeR 2017 11
