Lost in policy translation: Canadian minority Francophones and health disparities

We reviewed Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial policies related to the health of official language minorities (OLMs) and found important provincial and territorial differences as well as policies penalizing OLMs, which thus contribute significantly to health disparities and to the low vitality of OLM communities. These findings suggest the need for more aggressive, hands-on, and concerted federal and provincial/territorial government efforts to address social inequities and health disparities. Increased policy coherence between these levels of government will not only increase the health and vitality of these populations but also help close the disparity gap and lead to better health and well-being for all Canadians.