English Information
Your health and wellness partner in the franco-Yukon community
Together with our partners, Partenariat communauté en santé (Francophone Health Network) encourages innovative ideas to improve the state of health and well-being of the Franco-Yukon community. Our networking expertise enhances access to and the active offer of health and social services in French.
Who we work for
The Francophone population is experiencing significant growth. As a result, the number Yukoners whose first language is French exceeds the population of the territory’s second largest city (Dawson City Pop: 1,319).
Our priority development areas
- Ensure that the network can engage and create awareness in the community
- Increase access to health services in French
- Promote the well-being of our community
- Establish training and research projects with a focus on health in French
The importance of providing health and social services in French for Francophone minority communities
Several international studies show that language is an essential element in the provision of quality health services. According to these studies, a language barrier contributes to:
- Decreased use of preventive health services;
- Increased consultation time and increased number of diagnostic tests;
- Increased probability of errors in diagnoses and treatments;
- Reduced effectiveness of services where good communication is key, such as in mental health or physiotherapy services;
- Decreased motivation of users to regularly follow their treatment plan;
- Reduced satisfaction of patients with the care they receive.
These studies highlight the importance of working with partners to arrive at integrated strategies aimed at the active offer of health and social services in French as well as with a view to promoting health and preventing illness. These are all key elements that make a difference in the health status of Francophone minority populations in Canada.
Recommended links:
- Réseau francophone international pour la promotion de la santé
- Language barriers
- The impact of communication challenges on the delivery of quality health care to minority language clients and communities – IPE
- Language barriers – Sarah Bowen
Accompagnement-interprétation
Anglais
Some 4,900* Yukoners speak French, accounting for almost13.8% of Yukon’s population. Of that number, 4.6% or 1,635 people declare French as their mother tongue.
*Statistics Canada (August 2017) 2016 Census.