Item - 2025.HL29.2

The Board of Health:

1. Requested the Medical Officer of Health to share and engage with relevant community and health sector partners and City of Toronto divisions on the findings in the report (November 19, 2025) from the Medical Officer of Health, to support decision-making and improve the health of Toronto residents.

The Associate Medical Officer of Health gave a presentation on Updated Mortality Trends for Residents of Toronto.

Mortality is a key indicator of population health, reflecting the ultimate impact of disease and other health-related factors. Monitoring mortality rates supports public health planning, prevention, and intervention efforts.

Toronto Public Health (TPH) recently posted a summary of updated mortality trends for Toronto residents, including data from 2014 to 2023, from Vital Statistics death records. This summary highlights key mortality trends, including Toronto's overall ranking compared to other regions in Ontario, differences in mortality by socio-demographic characteristics, as well as patterns and causes of mortality over time. The findings reinforce the importance of ongoing mortality surveillance and improved socio-demographic data in death records, to target public health interventions to reduce preventable deaths and health inequities in Toronto.

Toronto Public Health’s Strategic Plan 2024-2028 guides focused actions to reduce the leading causes of mortality in Toronto, including COVID-19 and accidental poisoning. Evidence-informed programming, advocacy and cross-sector collaboration support efforts to advance the strategic plan's priorities including strengthening health protection, disease prevention, and emergency preparedness; promote the conditions to support positive mental health and reduce the harms of substance use; and advocate to advance health equity. Toronto Public Health’s COVID-19 pandemic response and the City-wide Our Health, Our City: A Mental Health, Substance Use, Harm Reduction and Treatment Strategy exemplify adaptive, data-driven public health action.

Toronto Public Health is committed to advocating and advancing health equity through assessing evidence, using population health assessment to identify and report on health inequities, and strengthening multi-sectoral partnerships.