FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Whitehorse, Yukon – The Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition (YAPC) has released a new report, How Poverty Harms Health: Evidence and Solutions for the Yukon, showing that poverty is one of the strongest and most preventable causes of poor health in the territory.
Drawing on more than 75 Yukon and external sources, the report demonstrates that people living in poverty face significantly higher risks of a wide range of health issues, including mental health conditions, diabetes, chronic illness, and shortened life expectancy. It also shows how poor health can push people deeper into poverty, creating a “health–poverty trap” that is extremely difficult to escape without effective policy support.
“Health is a human right, yet poverty continues to deny that right to many Yukoners,” said Elli Brown, report author. “This research makes clear that poverty is a public health issue, not just an economic issue. To improve our population’s health and wellbeing, we need to address access to basic needs.”
The report, completed with financial support from the Yukon Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research, identifies scarcity of basic needs – such as housing, food, and transportation – as the key factor linking poverty and poor health. When people cannot meet these needs, stress increases, illness becomes more likely, and opportunities for work, education, and stability shrink.
The report’s central recommendation is the development of a Basic Needs Guarantee for the Yukon. Rather than a single program, a Basic Needs Guarantee would be a coordinated framework of income supports and public services that ensures every person has access to essentials.
“A Basic Needs Guarantee gives us a way to move from crisis response to prevention,” said Keitha Clark, Project Coordinator at the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition. “It’s about creating a floor below which no one should fall, and building systems that support people’s health and stability.”
While long-term solutions are developed, the report also highlights five areas for immediate action:
“These are not abstract problems,” said Brown. “They show up in people’s lives every day: in missed meals, unsafe housing, untreated health conditions, and chronic stress. The solutions are within reach if we choose to act.”
How Poverty Harms Health: Evidence and Solutions for the Yukon- Full Report
How Poverty Harms Health: Evidence and Solutions for the Yukon- Highlights
Media Contacts:
Keitha Clark
Elli Brown