An Act to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion (R.S.Q., chapter L-7): Highlights of the Act and Its Application
Today, the links between poverty and health are well-established (Phipps, 2003) and the resulting inequalities in health have proven to be persistent (Whitehead & Dahlgren, 2007). Indeed, the population groups with the worst health status are materially underprivileged and socially excluded (De Koninck et al., 2008), leading many analysts to single out poverty as one of the primary determinants of health.
In 2002, the Government of Québec adopted An Act to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion (R.S.Q., c. L-7). This legislation is the first of its kind in North America.
This series of background papers presents the history that preceded this legislation, and highlights key elements of its application. This paper addresses the following questions:
- How is An Act to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion formulated and applied?
- What impact has this legislation had on poverty and social exclusion in Québec?
