Saskatchewan has earned a ‘D’ grade on a report card examining health outcomes in Canada and other countries.
The Conference Board of Canada ranked the province 24th in its “How Canada Performs” health report card, which compared 29 jurisdictions, including Canadian provinces, territories and 16 countries.
Saskatchewan was second worst among the provinces, scoring a D-minus on infant mortality and ‘D’s on life expectancy and premature mortality. The province also scored a ‘D’ on mortality due to diabetes.
Saskatchewan earned a ‘C’ for having one of the highest suicide rates in the country. The province also received a ‘B’ on mortality due to cancer, heart disease and stroke, respiratory and nervous system diseases, and self-reported mental health. Saskatchewan earned its only ‘A’ on self-reported health.
B.C. was the top-ranked province and third overall, scoring an ‘A’ on the report card, followed by Ontario and Quebec, which both received ‘B’s.
“B.C. and Ontario are the top ranked in Canada, in large part because their residents tend to lead healthier lifestyles,” said the Conference Board of Canada’s Gabriela Prada.
“At the other end of the spectrum, the worst ranking provinces and the territories receive poor grades on most mortality indicators and have lower life expectancies.”
Canada was eighth among the 16 countries in the ranking with a ‘B’ grade overall. The country received ‘A’s on self-reported health and self-reported mental health, and ‘C’s on infant mortality and mortality due to diabetes.
