mph toolkit #4: risk & protective factors

risk and protective factors for non communicable diseases

cancer facts & 3 most important preventable risk factors for cancer in ontario

• 25,300 cancer cases in Ontario in 2015 could have been prevented

• 4 in 10 cancer cases are linked to lifestyle choices or environmental exposures

• preventable factors: tobacco physical activity, and excess weight

risk and protective factors for infectious diseases

zoonotic diseases definition & 4 main componenets

• Infectious diseases that spread between animals and humans. They can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, or even prions, with more than 200 types known worldwide

• components - background, transmission, prevention, and treatment

ebola in 1976, 2014-16, & 2018-20

• 2 epidemics near the ebola river due to spillover events from wildlife and human to human transmission of bodily fluids

• largest outbreak in west africa of over 28,000 cases and 11,000 deaths

• democratic republic of congo due to mistrust in health systems and conflict despite improvement in treatments