Chronic Disease Prevention

Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death in Ontario. Ontario Health works in partnership with the public health system to use evidence-informed approaches to promote health, prevent diseases and improve the health of the entire population, including equity-deserving and Indigenous populations. This work includes coordinating programs and services that address modifiable risk factors and exposures, early detection and screening as well as publishing reports with evidence-based recommendations and actions to prevent chronic disease for a healthier Ontario. 

Taking Action to Prevent Chronic Disease

Taking Action to Prevent Chronic Disease: Recommendations for a Healthier Ontario provides 22 key recommendations for policy-based interventions and system-wide changes to reduce population-level exposures to four key risk factors, build capacity for chronic disease prevention and work toward health equity. These recommendations continue to inform and influence current approaches to chronic disease management and prevention.

To read the full Taking Action to Prevent Chronic Disease: Recommendations for a Healthier Ontario report from 2012, email our Prevention team for a digital copy. 

Chronic Disease Prevention Strategy

The Chronic Disease Prevention Strategy 2020 to 2023 is our second strategy for chronic disease prevention, and the first to incorporate all areas of work at Ontario Health. It builds on the accomplishments of the first strategy, which spanned 2015 to 2020, and highlights new opportunities to strengthen our efforts in chronic disease prevention.

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Burden of Chronic Diseases in Ontario

The Burden of Chronic Diseases in Ontario report provides data and evidence to support health system planning, and policy and program development for chronic disease prevention in Ontario. It presents estimates of deaths, hospitalizations, new cases and people living with chronic disease diagnoses in Ontario. It also presents estimates of the prevalence of modifiable chronic disease risk factors in Ontario for adults and youth.

The chronic diseases discussed in the report include cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic lower respiratory disease and diabetes. The risk factors examined were tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and unhealthy eating – these modifiable risk factors are all common to the four major chronic diseases highlighted in this report.
This report was produced jointly by Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)  and Public Health Ontario.

Highlights

  • Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death in Ontario. They are costly to treat and are preventable.
  • The main modifiable risk factors for chronic diseases are common. Over half of people in Ontario have two or more risk factors and few have no risk factors.
  • The economic costs in Ontario attributable to the risk factors for chronic diseases are significant.
  • Some populations in Ontario have a disproportionate burden of chronic diseases and prevalence of chronic disease risk factors, including Indigenous peoples in Ontario, people with low socioeconomic status and people with poor mental health.

To read the full The Burden of Chronic Diseases in Ontario and supporting documents, email our Prevention team for a digital copy.

Prevention System Quality Index

Learn about Ontario’s progress on policies and programs that can reduce the incidence of chronic disease risk factors and exposures in the population.

Reducing Chronic Disease in First Nations, Inuit and Métis

Read about evidence-based policy recommendations for reducing chronic disease in First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. 
Last Updated: February 18, 2025