Strengthening healthy communities: York Region Public Health 2024 update and 2025 focus areas

Newmarket – York Regional Council received an update on York Region’s dedication to maintaining the health of residents by preventing disease, promoting healthy living and addressing factors that influence healthy communities. 

“Regional Council remains committed to supporting efforts focused on community health and well-being,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Eric Jolliffe. “Continued dedication, innovative approaches and strong partnerships are key to addressing the evolving needs of our growing communities.”

York Region Public Health offers 36 programs and services aimed at enhancing community health and addressing health inequities. Our collaboration with community and health sector partners helps ensure we meet the diverse needs of our residents.

Operational highlights in 2024 include:

• Distributing 486,000 vaccine doses through community health care providers and public health clinics
• Delivering dental screenings to 39,599 students during the 2023-2024 school year
• Conducting 21,568 food premise inspections
• Providing 11,287 sexual health clinic appointments
• Treating 107,770 street and environmentally sensitive catch basins with larvicide to prevent the spread of mosquitoes carrying West Nile disease

There were several changing health trends in 2024, including ongoing mental health-related challenges, increasing numbers of reportable infectious diseases and evolving environmental health-related concerns. Combined with a growing population, these trends have increased the demand for public health services. 

“Public Health plays a vital role across the Region, from providing vaccines preventing the spread of infectious diseases to educating restaurants and personal service settings on how to provide safe services to the public,” said City of Vaughan Regional Councillor Gino Rosati, Chair of Community and Health Services. “Ensuring the health and safety of our residents is crucial as we continue to build thriving communities.”

In 2025, York Region Public Health remains committed to addressing the needs of residents and communities by enhancing immunization clinic capacity, maintaining readiness for infectious disease surges and ensuring everyone has fair opportunities to be healthy. 

Legislated by the Health Protection and Promotion Act, Public Health is governed by Regional Council in its role as Board of Health and operates mandated programs with a cost-share requirement of 75% provincial funding and 25% Regional funding.

Regional Council has supported supplemental funding, contributing closer to 46% in 2024, and continues to advocate for more consistent and sustained funding to meet growing resident needs.

For more information on the programs and services provided by Public Health, visit york.ca/WeArePublicHealth

The Regional Municipality of York consists of nine local cities and towns and provides a variety of programs and services to more than 1.25 million residents and 57,000 businesses with more than 629,000 employees. More information about the Region’s key service areas is available at york.ca/RegionalServices

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Media Contact:

Tamara Ostrowski, Corporate Communications, The Regional Municipality of York
Phone: 1-877-464-9675, ext. 71226 Cell: 905-251-6412
Email: @email