Health Watch - April 2013

April Fools is over. Sorry if you missed it or if you were fooled.

Yukon gov't programs embrace active living

The Yukon government has committed $250,000 annually to help raise the activity level of children and adults in order to combat the rising rates of obesity. “This funding commitment in support of the Renewed Yukon Active Living Strategy maximizes opportunities for children and youth to be active in all communities, and represents an investment into the health, wellbeing and quality of life of all Yukoners,” said Community Services Minister Elaine Taylor. In step with the Renewed Yukon Active Living Strategy, the Health and Social Services department launched its Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Strategy and its Pathways to Wellness initiative. Together these programs share resources to increase access to sport and recreation, healthy living, healthy eating and a higher quality of life. The renewed funding investment is subject to legislative approval in the 2013/14 budget.

Study shows breastfeeding reduces asthma in children   

Research on Aboriginal children in Canada has determined that breastfeeding can reduce the risk of asthma occurring in young children. The main goal of the study, conducted by Ming Ye, PhD candidate with the School of Public Health, was to see if breastfeeding had any effect on young Aboriginal children living in non-reserve areas in Canada. The data indicated that the prevalence for asthma overall, regardless of gender, age, socio-economic status, and other such factors, was lower in urban Aboriginal children than the Canadian average. According to the study, which is reported in the Canadian Respiratory Journal, the prevalence of asthma is 11.4 per cent for children that were not breastfed. Even children that had been breastfed some of the time, but not exclusively, showed lower prevalence for asthma (nine per cent) than those children who had never been breastfed. Exclusively breastfed children had an asthma prevalence of 6.8 per cent.

N.W.T. examines ways to partner to prevent cancer

The Department of Health and Social Services will team up with the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer to see how they and other health organizations can work together to reduce the impact of cancer on Aboriginal peoples in the Northwest Territories. “Advancing cancer control with and for First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities is a priority for the Partnership,” said Lee Fairclough, vice-president at Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. “We are working hard to educate our residents about cancer and prevention,” said Minister of Health and Social Services Tom Beaulieu. The Partnership has a First Nations, Inuit and Métis Action Plan on Cancer Control.

New funding to address prescription narcotics addictions

Ontario is working with First Nations communities to increase access to care and community supports for those addicted to prescription narcotics. The province is providing ongoing annual funding to support five new Community Wellness Development Teams and to increase the use of telemedicine equipment in First Nations treatment centres. Community Wellness Development Teams provide mental health and addictions expertise and support to First Nations communities seeking help in addressing prescription narcotic addiction by blending tradition and cultural practices. Using new telemedicine equipment will allow providers to conference with patients in remote communities to enhance addictions treatments. In October 2012, Ontario announced $15 million in new funding for addressing prescription-narcotics addictions, $2 million of which supports Aboriginal and First Nations initiatives.

Language, culture key to improve health of children

Anthropologist Dawn Martin-Hill says improving the health of Aboriginal children requires teaching them about their traditional languages and culture. Martin-Hill, speaking at an Indigenous children’s health symposium recently at McMaster Innovation Park, said ongoing and systemic racism within the medical profession coupled with a deep distrust of doctors by Aboriginals are two of the major reasons why the quality of health of Aboriginal children is worse than other young Canadians. She said that restorative health through traditional methods of intervention, bringing back rituals, learning about culture and language allow children to be empowered. Martin-Hill, a Mohawk of the Wolf Clan, holds a PhD in cultural anthropology. She lives on Six Nations territory and is one of the founders of the Indigenous studies program at McMaster University.

PathDMS helps track outcomes, progress

Williams Consulting, a First Nation company, has developed Path Data Management System (PathDMS) as a means to help front-line First Nation health managers more readily and consistently capture the progress they are making toward achieving work plan objectives, indicators, outcomes and performance measures. The need to more effectively capture this information is a priority shared by many Aboriginal front-line service providers in urban and rural centres. The data solution is designed to be intuitive and address multiple needs including health planning and management, promptly identifying emerging issues, accountability to community members, leadership and funders. PathDMS improves availability and access to quality data collection and analysis to better inform decision-making and priorities. It is the first application designed specifically for First Nations to address their unique data collection and reporting needs.