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"Good for you!" - RWAM / PIB employees take 40 million steps toward healthier lifestyle with La Capitale Insurance
ELMIRA, ONT - RWAM Insurance Administrators and Programmed Insurance Brokers have joined the Good For You! health promotion program offered by La Capitale Insurance and Financial Services with the aim of improving the overall health of their 200 employees. To get the program off to a roaring start, employees have set an objective of 40 million steps (approximately 40,000 km equivalent to the distance around the world) over the next six weeks. La Capitale is the first insurance company to offer its group insurance clients a pre-packaged program that lets them raise awareness and spur people towards better lifestyle habits.
"It's been wonderful to work with La Capitale in helping us to coordinate
this program. The long-term benefits of getting employees to re-focus on their
health and their lifestyle choices will be nothing less than positive. The
employees are energized and we are excited to be a partner in this
initiative," says Carole Yari President RWAM Insurance Administrators.
"The Good For You! program is a way for us to sensitize our clients to
the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and how it can improve well-being at
home and at work. Since we provide insurance benefits to our clients, we know
that employer costs are directly affected by rising healthcare costs. This
program is an innovative and effective way for us to inspire people and to
improve overall employee health within a company," added CEO Bruce Burnham.
To get this ambitious program up and running, a health promotion
specialist from La Capitale met with RWAM / PIB Health Committee members on
site and encouraged employees to get on board.
La Capitale has been doing business all across Canada since January 1,
2007, and is reporting positive results so far. RWAM / PIB is the very first
group in Ontario to join La Capitale's innovative Good For You! program. "RWAM
employees really will be going a long way over the next few weeks, with their
goal of reaching over 40 million steps. We are extremely proud of our program
and will be supporting RWAM and PIB as they walk around the world" says Pierre
Dansereau, Vice-President, Marketing and Communications of La Capitale's life
and health insurance sector.
Various activities have been organized for the firm's offices over the
next weeks to promote employee health: a lifestyle and stress awareness
campaign, mini health checkups by professionals at manned booths, with the
focal point being the launch of the Walk-A-Thon contest. All contest
participants have received a pedometer and are being challenged to walk at
least 6,000 steps a day for the duration of the contest to help reach the
overall group goal of 40 million steps.
As there's no better way than to set a good example, 480 employees from
La Capitale's life and health insurance sector and 840 employees from its
property and casualty insurance sector were the first to test out the
company's Good For You! program, and the results speak for themselves. Thanks
to the program, absenteeism dropped by 17%, with the average duration of
absence being reduced by 19%. That's what you call walking the walk!
Some "Stressful" Statistics
According to various sources, absenteeism represents between 15% and 20%
of all direct and indirect payroll expenses in Canada. Divided over the entire
working population, it adds up to nine workdays missed for every full-time
employee, which translates into losses of over $16 billion in salary expenses.
Stress, which is related to a number of causes of absenteeism, has many
negative effects on the mental and physical health of individuals. According
to Statistics Canada, workers exposed to high levels of stress generate 50%
more in healthcare-related expenses.
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7 Simple Steps to Relieve the Misery and Breathe Easy
Mother Nature has been treacherous the past few weeks, especially if you have sinus problems. Cities across the nation are coated with a choking haze of pollen. Wildfires in the South and the West have blanketed those regions with thick, smothering smoke. On a good air quality day, an estimated 38 million plus Americans suffer from sinusitis, or inflammation of the sinuses that can cause excruciating pain, pressure and a seemingly endless stream of thick post-nasal drip. So toss a steady stream of air pollution into the mix and not only does the agony intensify for those who already have sinusitis, but even people who are normally ‘healthy’ wind up with ear, nose and throat problems.
Enter Dr. Murray Grossan, a board certified ear, nose and throat specialist and author of “The Sinus Cure: 7 Simple Steps to Relieve Sinusitis and Other Ear, Nose, and Throat Conditions” (Ballantine Books, 2007). Dr. Grossan has been treating sinusitis sufferers for more than 40 years and he’s seen patients in utter agony because of the debilitating pain induced by sinus disease. While a perennial runny nose from sinusitis may seem like a minor ailment, left untreated it can lead to serious illness such as meningitis- an infection of the brain, and in some rare cases blood clots can form in veins around the sinus and affect the brain like a stroke.
“Most people simply don’t see their doctor for a runny nose,” says Dr. Grossan. “But if they have persistent ‘brain fog’ affecting the ability to think clearly, hoarseness, post-nasal drip, or sinus pressure that lasts for weeks, that’s a big red flag alerting them that it’s time to see a doctor. You can’t just write it off as a cold; especially in children because it can lead to bronchial problems and asthma.”
Because so many symptoms can be triggered by air contaminants, “The Sinus Cure” devotes an entire chapter to air quality and urges people to be cautious when faced with pollution issues. “Most people with sinusitis or asthma know that pollen and smoke- like we have covering parts of the country right now- can exacerbate their problems,” says Dr. Grossan. “Even if you don’t have an existing sinus or respiratory issue, you should avoid exposure to air pollutants.
Fortunately, there are several steps you can take for relief, including nasal irrigation to literally keep your nose clean, and help the tiny hairs inside your nose called ‘cilia’ do their job—filter the air you breathe. Putting a HEPA room-sized air filter in your bedroom can also work wonders.”
Dr. Grossan hopes to show people how to treat sinus disease through a “treat the whole person” approach that avoids the overuse of antibiotics. In fact, overuse is such a problem that up to one-fifth of prescriptions for adults is written for a drug to treat sinusitis according to researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
“Sinusitis and allergies are worse today than before the antibiotic age,” says Dr. Grossan. “Many patients believe antibiotics are the only remedy to cure their sinus problems but they’re wrong. My new patients come to me having had the latest antibiotics, yet they’re still sick and they depend on us for relief. This has forced us to develop some innovative approaches to curing sinusitis.”
Among those approaches, learning what foods can help heal sinus disease—and which to avoid. For example, alcohol, chocolate and dairy products are among those Dr. Grossan recommends avoiding. He also says cold drinks are the number one culprit for turning minor postnasal drip into a major sinus headache. “No matter what you drink, do not drink it cold,” says Dr. Grossan. “However, sipping hot drinks, such as hot tea can help drain your sinuses and allow you to breathe easier.”
“The Sinus Cure” covers the gamut of ear, nose, and throat issues from the impact of stress, the underdiagnosis of ‘cough asthma’ to the current strategies in drug treatments and new surgery options for sinusitis. After treating thousands of patients, Dr. Grossan’s dedication to curing sinusitis will bring relief to millions, including those who are seeking help dealing with seasonal air pollution.
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THE DOWN-SIDE OF LOW-CARB DIETS THAT NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT… UNTIL NOW
Discover how to lose weight with eating plan that boosts mood enhancers
Anyone who’s ever tried to lose weight recognizes the cycle: go on a diet, lose some weight, hit a plateau, feel stressed, return to old habits and gain back EVEN more weight. It’s called yo-yo dieting. While low-carb, high protein diets like the Atkins and South Beach diets have been popular for years, what most people don’t realize is that the very diet they’re counting on to help shed pounds is actually starving their brains; depleting their supply of the mood regulating neurotransmitter serotonin. The result is that many people can’t stay on their diet and lose the weight. For others, the damage can range from loss of sex drive to food cravings and from insomnia to compulsive behavior.
Dr. Cheryle Hart, author of the new book, “The Feel Good Diet: The Weight-Loss Plan That Boosts Serotonin, Improves Your Mood, and Keeps the Pounds Off for Good,” (McGraw-Hill 2007) recognizes how critical neurotransmitters are—not just for successful weight loss, but for every aspect of life. “66% of adult Americans are overweight and many of them truly want to lose the weight,” says Dr. Hart. “But the dynamics are stacked against them because low-carb diets rob the brain of precious neurotransmitters. That’s why it’s so crucial for people to learn how to eat in a way that will boost those mood enhancers and help them lose weight.”
A Mayo Clinic-trained gynecologist and weight-loss specialist, Dr. Hart recognized a pattern in her private practice—she started noticing that more and more women on these trendy high-protein diets were becoming depressed. “You’d think they would be ecstatic with their weight loss,” says Dr. Hart. “But I was seeing just the opposite. And it really impacted their marriages. One frustrated husband told me, ‘My wife lost more than weight. She also lost her mind.’” More than one husband confided to Dr. Hart that he would rather have his wife ‘fat and happy than skinny and witchy.’
In “The Feel Good Diet,” Dr. Hart explains the science of how diets impact the brain and how neurotransmitters affect a person’s body and their well-being. Simply put, your hormones and the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine all work in tandem to help maintain weight control, reduce stress and let you live in a healthy manner. Including the right foods and supplements in your weight loss plan can help keep it all in balance. And that right balance leads not only to long term weight loss, but also to a happier, more positive outlook because those mood enhancing neurotransmitters are no longer depleted.
Dr. Hart also shares several common causes of low levels of serotonin and dopamine that most people aren’t aware of:
Getting older- 60% of adults past age 40 have some degree of deficiency
Prolonged emotional or physical stress – when stress is severe or prolonged, adrenal glands become exhausted and can’t keep up
Hormone imbalances – hormones influence neurotransmitter release and activity
Sleeping poorly – most serotonin is replaced while you sleep
Certain medications – long term use of diet pills, stimulants, pain pills and narcotics can deplete neurotransmitter stores
So can caffeine, nicotine alcohol and recreational drugs
“The Feel-Good Diet” offers yo-yo dieters a chance to break the vicious cycle of losing and then re-gaining weight; permanently, with complete step-by-step daily eating plans that increase serotonin production. Snacks of specific foods shown to raise serotonin levels like chocolate, certain fruits, bread, and pasta are purposely scheduled throughout the day and evening. Complete lists of these serotonin-boosting foods are provided. Full details on the nutritional supplements proven to raise serotonin levels are also given. Restaurant menus and even fast-food dieting choices that boost serotonin help dieters succeed in the real world. Recipes, like the popular “chocolate S’more Serotonin” dessert, are included as a bonus.
“The true goal of “The Feel Good Diet” is teaching people how to eat right, exercise right and make more serotonin,” says Dr. Hart. “That way they can actually enjoy being thin.”
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Researchers Find Cause of Muscle-Stiffness Disease
Imagine a dog running after a ball, only to stiffen up and fall over because of a genetic muscle cell disorder. It may sound almost comical, but this disorder, called Myotonia congenita, affects dogs, cats, horses, water buffalo, and even people.
Three University of Guelph professors have found the cause of the disease that temporarily prevents an animal’s muscles from relaxing after they contract. The research by Andrew Bendall, Brad Hanna and Roberto Poma is published today in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine .
In humans, so far more than 80 mutations of the skeletal muscle chloride channel gene (called CLCN1) – which temporarily prevents muscles from relaxing after they contract – have been found. In animals, scientists have barely begun to scratch the surface of finding the causes of the muscle disease. Bendall and Hanna of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology have discovered the mutation associated with Myotonia congenital in Australian Cattle Dogs and in a Maltese-cross dog.
“There are probably eight breeds of dogs known to have Myotonia, but up until our study, the Miniature Schnauzer was the only breed for which a specific genetic mutation had been found,” says Bendall.
Adds Hanna: “I think there’s a misunderstanding among some veterinary practitioners that once you find a mutation that causes the disease, that’s it. The human example shows us clearly that, no, in different families there may be different mutations.”
That means that even though a blood test has been established to detect Myotonia in the Miniature Schnauzer, it’s unlikely that it will detect the disease in any other breed of dog. Because Bendall and Hanna found the mutation in the Australian Cattle Dog, they were able to develop a blood test to detect the disease in that breed which is now offered at the provincial diagnostic Animal Health Lab at U of G.
“We found that in the Australian Cattle Dog it’s a truncation mutation, so there’s actually a portion of the skeletal muscle chloride channel that’s missing,” says Hanna. “Eighty-eight amino acids are missing at one end of the channel.”
Bendall and Hanna’s research will not only benefit the owners of Australian Cattle Dogs, but “by identifying the kinds of mutations that affect the function of the protein, you can learn something about how the normal protein works,” says Bendall.
The fact that Bendall and Hanna have successfully cloned the CLCN1 gene in the Australian Cattle Dog and found the mutation means that they are now able to find mutations in other breeds more quickly.
Since their success in Australian cattle dogs, they’ve also discovered the mutation in a Maltese-cross with a severe case of Myotonia. “We have found a missense mutation, which results in the substitution of one amino acid for another in the protein,” says Hanna. “That amino acid has not been found to be mutated in this way in humans, so we’re in the process of doing the functional work to determine the significance of this change.”
When veterinarians diagnose Myotonia in animals, since there’s no known treatment for the disease, they often don’t refer clients to Bendall and Hanna for testing.
“We would be interested in hearing from veterinarians who have identified animals of any breed or any species with a similar disorder,” says Hanna. “It’s possible, especially with purebred animals, for this type of disease to become widely disseminated, so by developing blood tests we can help breeders eliminate these disorders.”
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Canadians being denied life-saving treatments Common Drug Review says we're not worth it, patients testify
OTTAWA - Two of Canada's most active patient advocates testified today to the Standing Committee on Health that the Common Drug Review (CDR) is blocking access to life-saving medications, sharing poignant examples of how such treatments, once available, changed their lives. Representing the Best Medicines Coalition (BMC), Louise Binder, an HIV positive woman, and Linda Wilhelm who suffers from severe rheumatoid arthritis, were invited as part of the Committee's review of the CDR's effectiveness.
In a submission to the Committee, the BMC outlined how the CDR has
rejected treatments that have been proven to provide real benefit to patients,
often saving lives. It concluded that the CDR is profoundly compromising the
health of Canadians. A total dismantling of the CDR is recommended, preceded
by a comprehensive review by an independent working group, with full patient
representation.
"The Common Drug Review is a good idea gone wrong. Quite simply, in its
present configuration, it's hard to imagine it being fixed," stated Louise
Binder, chair of the BMC, a national group of organizations whose members
represent millions of Canadians living with or affected by chronic diseases.
The BMC cited that the CDR is not efficient, has not reduced duplication and
is not using comprehensive and progressive models to review evidence.
In her presentation to the Committee, Binder outlined how HIV-positive
Canadians rely on being able to choose from a range of treatments. Each
individual may not be able to tolerate specific drugs and need options to turn
to, describing HIV drugs as being like life-long chemotherapy, often with
intolerable side effects.
"I have had to make three drug switches myself, all due to toxicity in my
liver. The last switch, just last year, left me too ill to do anything but
sleep for three months but I stuck it out because I had few choices left,"
Binder recounted to the Committee. "Enter tenofovir, very effective with few
side effects and toxicities, allowing HIV-positive people like me to live
better lives. Unfortunately, after two submissions, the CDR ruled it was not
cost effective and tried to deny it to all treatment-naive patients."
Wilhelm, who has suffered from debilitating rheumatoid arthritis for more
than twenty years, at times confined to a wheelchair and unable to care for
herself or her family, described a long journey of ineffective treatments,
surgeries and hospital stays.
"Finally, in 1999 came a breakthrough biologic. I walked out of a three
month hospital stay on my own steam and have never looked back," said Wilhelm.
"A recent CADTH report concluded that this drug is not cost effective.
According to them, I am not worth it. I disagree with this conclusion and know
that there are thousands of Canadians with inflammatory arthritis who would
agree with me."
In its submission, the BMC outlines specific minimum standards which a
vastly reformed CDR or, if dismantled, provincial drug review committees must
meet:
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- Comprehensive and progressive data analysis models, including
pharmacoeconomic review, must be adopted which are broader and
inclusive in nature, moving away from a narrow cost containment
approach. These models must be designed to incorporate a wider
definition of costs, including hospitalizations, surgeries and
universal healthcare costs. In addition, post approval surveillance
activities must be incorporated and enhanced.
- Models of pharmaceutical review must be flexible enough to
facilitate, where appropriate, novel and innovative medicines,
including those designed for rare disorders, those for previously
unmet needs and those where significant therapeutic advance is
offered.
- Review processes must be further expedited and improved by involving
thorough consultation of national and international experts in each
therapeutic area.
- Patients, who are most impacted by decisions, must be significantly
involved and consulted. In addition, broader stakeholder groups must
participate in the process in a meaningful advisory capacity.
- Transparency and fairness must be integrated, allowing patients and
other stakeholders a greater understanding of processes and rationale
for actions. An appeal process must allow recourse on all decisions.
>>
Formed in 2002, the BMC is a national alliance of organizations and
individuals, representing those living with or affected by chronic disease or
illness, who are concerned about drug review reform, treatment access, patient
safety and general health policy development.
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WOODSTOCK COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE MOVES AHEAD
WOODSTOCK - In November 2005, the McGuinty government announced plans to open 39 new Community Health Centres and satellite Community Health Centres with an investment of $74.6 million by March 2008. Over the course of the summer and fall of 2006, several public forums and service provider information gathering sessions were held in Woodstock, Ingersoll and Tillsonburg. On April 13, 2007 MPP Sandra Pupatello, on behalf of Minister of Health and Long-Term Care George Smitherman, announced that the steering committee had been chosen as the sponsoring organization for the center. Since then, members of the steering have been working to bring the Community Health Centre (or CHC) closer to reality.
The following are remarks of the Chair of the Woodstock and Area Communities Health Centre at the launch held this afternoon in Woodstock.
On behalf of the Steering Committee for the newly appointed Woodstock and area community health center, I would like to welcome all of you.
My name is Mark Innes, and I am the chair of the committee.
I would like to introduce you to the members of the Steering Committee. Ronald Fraser, Chief of Oxford Community Police Service (Woodstock), is the Vice Chair. The Secretary Treasurer is Lynn Buchner (Tillsonburg). Gordon Adam (Ingersoll), Fraser De La Plante (Tillsonburg), Rosemary George (Woodstock), Jason Smith (Ingersoll) and Carolyn Streefkerk (Tillsonburg) round out the committee.
All members of the committee are volunteers. The members of the committee will form the first Board of Directors for the CHC we will be creating. These local people will be responsible for both governing the CHC and operating it.
Though new to this area, CHCs are not new to the province.
Each CHC in the Province provides different services depending on the population groups served and the specific needs of the community. Community health centres have proven successful in other communities across the Province by focusing on residents who do not or cannot gain access to health care solutions due to various barriers, such as language, culture, physical and mental disability, homelessness, poverty and geographic isolation, as well as by focusing on individuals who are at a higher risk of developing health problems than the general population.
Given that our area has been identified as severely under-serviced by family physicians, it is hoped that the CHC will assist in addressing the needs of health care for some of our seniors and some of our less fortunate citizens in our communities. For those with significant access barriers, this approach, while improving care, also strives to reduce the burden on other health care service providers. It is our hope that having a CHC in our area may provide improved cost efficiencies to our overall health system.
We have chosen the name of our CHC. It is the Woodstock and Area Communities Health Centre. The name recognizes the importance of helping not only those in Woodstock, but of reaching beyond where we can. The name also recognizes that we will be striving to identify and serve various members of communities in our area who can benefit from what a CHC can offer, those persons who do not or cannot access health care solutions due to barriers, barriers due to physical and mental disability, barriers due to culture, barriers due to homelessness and due to poverty.
Getting to this stage is an important step. There have been several people and groups who have been supportive of the planning process, who have seen the fit between the needs in this area and what a CHC has to offer, and how the community overall will benefit. Mayor of Woodstock Michael Harding is one of those individuals, as is Fern Woolcott from the South-West Local Health Integration Network. Groups that have been instrumental are the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Women’s Emergency Services, the United Way and the Ontario Provincial Police. To those individuals and groups, and to all others who have played a role in the process, thank you.
Yet while getting to this stage is an accomplishment, there is still obviously much more to do. Over the next few months, members of the committee will be determining the priority population groups the CHC is to serve based on statistical evidence showing need. We will be developing a governance structure. We will be completing a business and operational plan. We will be determining the programs, the services and the staffing required to meet the identified needs of the priority population groups. There will be hard work and challenges, but we look forward to the task and meeting those challenges.
The CHC model is a real success in other communities across Ontario. We want to bring that successful model here and make it work. We will be working with community stakeholders, service providers, the South-West Local Health Integration Network and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to accomplish that task, and to improve access to community-based health care and social service solutions.
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XN Financial announces Canadian launch of XN Global Preferred Care
MONTREAL - XN Financial announces the Canadian launch of XN Global Preferred Care, a new approach to critical illness for groups and individuals that's designed for one purpose: maximizing the chance of a full and fast recovery from the world's most life-threatening diseases, including cancer and heart disease.
XN Global Preferred Care is a critical illness survival program that
responds when a critical illness is diagnosed, and provides much more than
just the traditional 'lump-sum' payment. XN Global Preferred Care affords
insureds preferred access to leading experts in diagnosis, treatment and
process management. Designated coordinators orchestrate a quality-controlled
coordination of medical practitioners, while patients and their families stay
involved and informed. The program will arrange to fly insureds and a
companion to one of the top 1% of US hospitals for treatment...all paid for
directly by a $2 million insurance policy.
"When it comes to critical illness, you only want one thing: a full
recovery," said XN Financial president and CEO, Daniel Anber. "The addition of
XN Global Preferred Care to our growing roster of products is further evidence
of XN Financial's commitment to providing best-in-class products and services
that give people the peace of mind they need while living and working in a
global environment.
"Since our inception, XN Financial has consistently expanded its product
and service offering to the point where we now offer all of our members a true
global personal risk management solution."
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Prof Aims to Improve Retention of Deaf Students
Just one per cent of students who are deaf or hard of hearing go on to university or college after high school, and those that do often drop out after the first year because they struggle to make the transition.
A University of Guelph economist has come up with a radical way of making the move from high school to post-secondary education more successful for these students.
In a report recently submitted to the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Douglas Auld suggests that the province create a transitional institution where students who are deaf or hard of hearing could spend a year taking post-secondary courses and living in residence before attending university or college.
Auld came up with his solution after spending the past year interviewing deaf and hard-of-hearing students and their parents and reviewing previous research on the topic. He points to the overwhelming change in the environment that comes with making the transition from high school as the main reason behind the shockingly low number of deaf and hard-of-hearing students currently pursuing post-secondary education.
“The real challenge is the transition from high school and living with your family to all of a sudden living on your own and going to a university with 25,000 students,” said the adjunct economics professor, who began the study last year after retiring as president of Loyalist College in Belleville. “It’s tough for the average student so imagine what it’s like for a student who is deaf or hard of hearing.”
Just over one per cent of 18-24 year olds who are deaf or hard of hearing go on to university compared with 22 per cent of the overall age cohort, Auld said. The number of deaf or hard-of-hearing students attending college is slightly higher at eight per cent but that is still far below the number for the overall age cohort, which sits at 29 per cent. Of those who do make it to university or college, about half do not complete their education, he said.
He proposes the province turn Sir James Whitney School in Belleville into this transitional school. It was established decades ago to provide primary, secondary and specialized education for deaf and hard-of-hearing students before they became integrated into regular school programs. The transitional school would provide courses aimed at preparing students for the transition to university or college and would also offer counselling and support.
“This is a radical approach,” he said. “But the current and past approaches have not worked as well as they should, and there is now a moral obligation on the part of Ontario to take bold action to assist these students.”
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ONTARIO GOVERNMENT PROVIDING ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR MORE CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
KidsAbility to receive a 5% increase in base funding
WATERLOO REGION – John Milloy, Kitchener Centre MPP welcomed news that KidsAbility Centre for Child Development will see its base funding increased by an additional $273,900. The announcement was made today by the Honourable Mary Anne Chambers, Minister of Children and Youth Services during a visit to our Region. This funding will provide services to 50 more children and youth with special needs on the organization’s waiting list.
“Our government has consistently demonstrated its commitment to increasing services and supports for children with special needs and their families,” said Milloy. “I am very pleased that over the past two years, KidsAbility has seen its annual funding increase by over $1.2 million.”
For 2007-08, the Ontario government is investing an additional $4 million in 20 children’s treatment centres across the province to help make services more accessible, better coordinated and more responsive to the needs of children, youth and their families. This new funding will provide more services that will benefit approximately 2,200 children and youth with special needs and is in addition to the $10 million announced in the 2006 Ontario Budget that provided services to approximately 4,800 more children and youth.
“We are delighted at Minister Chambers' announcement of additional funding for the children with special needs in Waterloo Wellington who are served by KidsAbility. These new funds help our organization to deal with cost pressures and to provide a variety of therapy, medical and support services to an additional 50 children with special needs and their families,” stated Stephen Swatridge, CEO, KidsAbility, “This represents another wise investment by our government partners in the early identification of children's needs. This investment, in turn, supports the healthy development of our most vulnerable children and leads to improved opportunities and a greater likelihood of success in school and in life."
Children’s treatment centres are community-based organizations designed to meet the diverse needs of children and youth with special needs. Children and youth with special needs have varying needs associated with a number of conditions such as physical, intellectual and development disabilities, and chronic or severe illness. This includes young people with neurological disorders, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, behavioural concerns and mental illness.
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“Fight the Bite!” & “Minimize Exposure to West Nile Virus”
Waterloo - Region of Waterloo Public Health launched their 2007 West Nile Virus (WNV) education campaign this week. The campaign kicks-off with an information postcard mail-out to residential homes in Waterloo Region. The postcard highlights the “Fight the Bite!” campaign message and provides key information regarding mosquito breeding grounds, personal protection and the reporting of dead birds.
Region of Waterloo Public Health will monitor the presence of the virus through the testing of dead birds - particularly crows and blue jays. Crows and jays are highly susceptible to West Nile Virus and are an important reservoir. Starting May 14,th Public Health staff will begin submitting crows and blue jays for testing.
The public is being asked to report sightings of all species of dead birds to the West Nile Virus hotline at 519-883-2086. The WNV hotline will be staffed during regular business hours. Please note that only a small number of suitable samples will be picked up and submitted for viral testing. All other dead birds may be safely disposed of by double-bagging them and placing them in the regular garbage. Do not handle the bird directly – use gloves and wash your hands after disposing.
“It is important that the public report dead crows and blue jays, as well as other species of dead birds, in order to help monitor the spread of the virus within our region” said Curt Monk, Manager of Health Protection. “The frequency of dead bird sightings has been found to be an important tool for predicting the spill-over of WNV from birds to the human population,” added Mr. Monk.
In addition, Public Health staff will be distributing brochures to a variety of locations across the Region including: garden centres and municipal and township offices. The brochure will also be available on the Region’s website at www.region.waterloo.on.ca/ph – select Resources from the menu and click on West Nile Virus |
Ontario government bill supporting firefighters battling illness becomes law Presumptive Legislation Sets A New Benchmark For Canada
QUEEN'S PARK - The Ontario Government bill supporting firefighters who develop cancer or suffer a heart injury as a result of their job has now been passed by the Ontario Legislature with all-party support, Minister of Labour Steve Peters announced May 4.
"Firefighters and their families make sacrifices for all of us on a daily
basis," said Peters. "This legislation recognizes the unique hazards they face
and the life-threatening impacts they can have."
This amendment to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 (WSIA)
allows for regulations recognizing eight forms of cancer, as well as heart
injuries suffered within 24 hours of fighting a fire, as presumed to be
work-related, unless shown otherwise.
"This will help ensure fairness and respect when a workers' compensation
claim is filed," said Peters.
The government will now move forward with a regulation for full-time
firefighters, setting out the type of cancer and the criteria for minimum
years of service required for each type of cancer. The government will also
now consult with part-time, volunteer and forest firefighters, and fire
investigators to determine the appropriate service criteria for them. This
will be included in further regulations.
FIREFIGHTER OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
Firefighters deserve compensation for fire-related illnesses and the
Ontario government is working to ensure they get the help they need.
An amendment to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (WSIA) received
Royal Assent on May 4, 2007 allowing the government to make regulations
affecting Ontario's full-time, part-time and volunteer firefighters, fire
investigators and forest firefighters.
Previously, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) had internal
policies for dealing with some types of occupational diseases for
firefighters, but generally assessed each firefighter claim on a case-by-case
basis to determine if the disease was work-related or possibly caused by other
factors not related to a worker's job.
Some Canadian jurisdictions have presumptive legislation to address
specific health concerns of firefighters. This legislation now allows Ontario
to do the same through regulations under the WSIA.
What is presumptive legislation?
Presumptive legislation allows the government to identify, through
regulations, specific diseases or heart injuries of firefighters that would be
presumed to be work-related for the purpose of workers' compensation, unless
the contrary is shown. The WSIB would presume the disease or heart injury to
be work-related unless it could be demonstrated that it was caused by other
factors, such as non-work-related exposure or hereditary factors.
Presumptive legislation has been enacted in other Canadian jurisdictions,
including Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan.
Many American states also have some kind of presumptive legislation for
firefighters. More information is available in a report prepared by
Parliamentary Assistant Mario Racco on the Ministry of Labour website at
http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/reports/firefighters/review.html.
What is Ontario's approach?
Ontario has taken a unique approach through legislation that allows
specific diseases or heart injuries to be identified in regulations under the
WSIA, as opposed to being encoded in the legislation.
This will allow the list of diseases presumed to be work-related to be
reviewed and updated, based on emerging medical information and input from
fire sector stakeholders.
In establishing this legislative framework, the government took into
consideration a combination of scientific and consultative information,
including:
- Parliamentary Assistant Mario Racco's report on the Treatment of
Firefighter Cancer Claims by the Workplace Safety and Insurance
Board, which included information provided by fire sector
stakeholders
- Several studies and medical journals that support a link between
firefighters and various cancers
- The rate of acceptance by the WSIB of firefighter cancer claims
- A review of how other jurisdictions have dealt with presumtive
legislation.
What is unique about this legislation?
This legislation is one of the most comprehensive of its kind in Canada.
- More firefighters will be able to be covered by regulations. Unlike
other jurisdictions that cover primarily full-time firefighters, this
legislation allows for the inclusion of part-time and volunteer
firefighters, fire investigators and forest firefighters. The
government will quickly commence consultation to determine their
scope of coverage
- Through regulation, eight types of cancer will be identified as
presumed to be work-related, provided the firefighter has a minimum
number of years service. This, unlike some other jurisdictions, could
be relatively easily expanded through a regulation if medical
information emerges to support it
- Through a regulation, heart injuries would be presumed to be work-
related if they occur within 24 hours of a firefighter attending a
fire
- These changes apply to heart injuries sustained or diseases diagnosed
on or after January 1, 1960. Claims already decided on by the WSIB or
the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal can be re-opened
at the request of the claimant.
What diseases does the government intend to regulate?
It is the government's intent to include the following Illnesses by
regulation that will apply to full-time, part time and volunteer firefighters
and fire investigators:
------------------------------------------
Cancer/Illness
------------------------------------------
Brain cancer
------------------------------------------
Bladder cancer
------------------------------------------
Kidney cancer
------------------------------------------
Colorectal cancer
------------------------------------------
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
------------------------------------------
Leukemia
------------------------------------------
Ureter cancer
------------------------------------------
Esophageal cancer
------------------------------------------
Heart injury
------------------------------------------
The government intends to regulate these illnesses for full-time
firefighters with the following conditions:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cancer/Illness Criteria - Years of Service
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brain cancer 10 years
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bladder cancer 15 years
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kidney cancer 20 years
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colorectal cancer 10 years (diagnosed prior to 61st birthday)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 20 years
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leukemia 15 years
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ureter cancer 15 years
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Esophageal cancer 25 years
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heart injury Within 24 hours of fighting a fire
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Due to their unique nature, it is the government's intent to initiate a >
consultation to determine the criteria that would apply to part-time and
volunteer firefighters and fire investigators.
|
Study shows children's mental health still taboo in Canada
More than one-third of all Canadians would be embarrassed to admit their
child struggles with mental health issues
TORONTO - On the eve of Children's Mental Health Week (May 6 to 12), Kinark Child and Family Services, a not-for-profit children's mental health organization in Ontario that provides expert help to children and youth, their families and communities, released the results of a nation-wide study that found 38 per cent of Canadians would be embarrassed to admit their children suffer from anxiety or depression. The telephone survey was conducted between April 13 and 18, 2007 with a nationally representative sample of 1,500 adults. The results are accurate to within +/- 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
"With this huge percentage of the population embarrassed to admit, let
alone discuss, their child struggles with mental health issues, we are a very
long way from removing this painful and damaging stigma in Canada," says
Kinark Executive Director Peter Moore. "Until Canadians get over their
long-standing fear and misunderstanding of children's mental health, neither
the one-in-five children and youth who struggle with mental health, nor their
parents, will get the help they need and deserve."
"People must understand that mental health issues can be serious and can
often be treated or even prevented," says Dr. Richard Meen, Clinical Director.
"It's important for parents to know that treatment and services are available
right across the province."
Again this year, Kinark is supporting the Green Ribbon Campaign to raise
awareness and battle the stigma facing children's mental health. In recent
years the green ribbon has been adopted by children's mental health agencies
across North America in an effort to break down the barriers which prevent
children, youth and families from seeking help.
The colour green has been synonymous with mental health since the early
1900s. Back then it was used to identify and label individuals as insane. In
the 1970s, in an effort to create a positive symbol for the future, the colour
green was re-introduced as a sign of hope for those struggling with mental
health issues.
<<
Key Statistics on Children's Mental Health
- One-in-five Ontario youth struggle with mental health issues
(Children's Mental Health Ontario);
- Young people with mental health disorders are at greater risk for
dropping out of school, ending up in jail and of not being fully
functional members of society in adulthood (UNICEF, "Adolescence: A
time that matters", 2002);
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15 to 19 year olds
(24 per cent of all deaths). The leading cause of death among this
group is accidents (Statistics Canada, "Canada Yearbook 1999");
- Depression is affecting younger and younger people - adolescents and
teenagers (Lane R.E. (2000) "The Loss of Happiness in Market
Democracies". Yale University Press); and
- Prevention programs and intervention services work (Children's Mental
Health Ontario).
>>
"We hope during Children's Mental Health Week from May 6 to 12 that
parents, teachers, government agencies and the kids themselves will take this
opportunity to talk about how we can better support children and youth
suffering from mental illness and bring them out from the shadows once and for
all," adds Mr. Moore.
|
New plan strongly affirms vital importance of sexual and reproductive health
WASHINGTON, D.C.,- The World Bank launched a new health, nutrition, and population, strategy that will help developing countries strengthen their health systems to improve the health and well-being of millions of the world's poorest people, boost economic growth, reduce poverty caused by catastrophic illness, and provide the structural 'glue' that combines multiple health-related programs within client countries.
Called Healthy Development: The World Bank's Strategy for Health, Nutrition,
and Population Results, the new plan updates the Bank's contribution to
improving health outcomes at the global, regional, and national levels,
including the 2015 Millennium Development Goals, at a time when new
multilateral organizations and foundations are increasing their prominence in
health financing-such as the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and
Malaria, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-and pandemics and regional
epidemics have continued to emerge, while others have expanded-HIV/AIDS,
malaria, drug resistant-TB, SARS, avian flu.
According to the Bank's new strategy, there have also been significant
increases in premature deaths related to chronic diseases-diabetes, pulmonary
diseases, hypertension, cancer-linked to the tobacco-addiction and obesity
pandemics. Malnutrition is problematic not only in poor countries (with both
under-nutrition and obesity), but also in rich countries confronted with a
rapidly growing prevalence of obesity.
"Global health has changed so radically over the last decade that the Bank is
redoubling its commitment to help developing countries and global partners
achieve better health for people, and especially poor and vulnerable
communities," says Joy Phumaphi, the World Bank's Vice President for Human
Development, and a former WHO Assistant Director-General for Family and
Community Health. "While there is more health financing available to countries
than ever before, much of it is earmarked for fighting priority diseases such
as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and some vaccine-preventable diseases, and
there's less available for strengthening health systems at country level, for
maternal and child health, for nutrition, and for family planning priorities."
The Bank consulted widely in preparing its new strategy with more than 400
local and global leaders from developing and middle-income countries,
development donors, and civil society groups in nine partner countries, namely:
Argentina, Algeria, Armenia, Tanzania, Mali, Djibouti, Mexico, India, and
Indonesia. At the global level, it also conferred closely with the World Health
Organization, the Global Fund, and other specialized health agencies with which
it will coordinate and implement its new health systems approach.
Strengthening health systems
Phumaphi says 'strengthening health systems' may sound more abstract and less
important than fighting specific diseases, but she argues that well-organized
and sustainable health systems are necessary to achieve results. For example,
protecting people from malaria deaths and illness calls for strong health
systems as well as specific disease control measures, such as insecticide-
treated bed-nets, indoors residual spraying, and the use of Artemisinin-
combination (ACT) drugs.
On the ground, in practical terms, it means putting together the right chain of
events (financing, regulatory framework for private-public collaboration,
governance, insurance, logistics, provider payment and incentive mechanisms,
information, well-trained personnel, basic infrastructure, and supplies) to
ensure that poor people get the good quality health services they need to save
and improve their lives. Many existing aid programs for health assume a
functioning health system exists with the capacity to deliver drugs to the
people who need them. But, as the strategy says, that is often not the case.
"Strengthening health systems is essential but it's not a result in itself,"
says Cristian Baeza, the World Bank's acting Director of Health, Nutrition, and
Population, and coordinator of the new strategy. "Success in systems-
strengthening cannot be claimed until the right chain of events on the ground
prevents avoidable deaths and extreme financial hardship due to illness;
because, without results, health system strengthening has no meaning. However,
without health system strengthening, there will be no results.
Baeza says working 'cross-sectorally' is imperative to saving lives and
improving the quality of health of the world's poor-having health ministries,
their local departments, and their international aid donors work more closely
together with other strategic government ministries to achieve better health
results within countries.
According to the Bank's new strategy, "many advances in health status achieved
during the 20th century were the result of close synergy among health and other
key sectors in the economy such as water and sanitation, environment,
transport, employment, education, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and
public administration. For example, investments in girls' education improve
household decisions on nutrition and demand for basic health care. At the same
time, investing in basic nutrition during pregnancy and infancy has a
substantial positive effect on early childhood development, which, in turn,
significantly contributes to educational attainment, employability, and future
income."
Good health also spurs economic growth
In its new health plan, the Bank says that health is often thought to be an
outcome of economic growth. Increasingly, however, it maintains, good health
and sound health system policy have also been recognized as a major,
inseparable contributor to economic growth. Advances in public health and
medical technology, knowledge of nutrition, population policies, disease
control, and the discovery of antibiotics and vaccines are widely viewed as
catalysts to major strides in economic development, from the Industrial
Revolution in 19th century-Britain to the economic miracles of Japan and East
Asia in the 20th century. Sound health policy, one that sets the correct
incentive framework for financing and delivering services, also has important
implications for overall country fiscal policy and country competitiveness.
Sexual and reproductive health
The World Bank continues to play a central role in ensuring access to all
reproductive services through policy advice and financial assistance. In its
policy discussions with client countries, the Bank will continue to affirm: its
long-standing and strong commitment to the Cairo Consensus, the landmark 1994
agreement on family planning and sexual and reproductive health; and to provide
countries with whatever financial and technical help they request in this
area.
Consequently, in its new strategy, the Bank commits itself to work on
population issues in countries with high unmet needs in sexual and reproductive
health in the following areas:
(a) assessing multi-sectoral constraints to reducing fertility, determining
impacts of population changes on health systems and other sectors, and
assisting countries in strengthening population policies;
(b) providing financial support and policy advice for comprehensive sexual and
reproductive health systems and care, including family planning, and maternal
and newborn health;
(c) generating demand for reproductive health information and systems,
including improving girls' education and women's economic opportunities, and
reducing gender disparities;
(d) raising the economic and poverty dimensions of high fertility in strategic
documents that inform policy dialogue (such as, Country Assistance Strategies,
Country Economic Memoranda, and, country-led Poverty Reduction Strategies
(PRSPs).
"Women endure a disproportionate burden of poor sexual and reproductive
health," says the Bank's Joy Phumaphi, who also served as Health Minister in
her home country of Botswana from 1999-2003. "Their full and equal
participation in development depends directly on accessing essential sexual and
reproductive health care. This strategy commits the Bank to help these women,
along with the UN Population Fund, WHO, and the technical health agencies, to
make voluntary and informed decisions about fertility."
Results Framework
The new strategy calls for greater linkage of health financing with better
results. The best way to do this, it says, is to connect development aid as
directly as possible to achieving health, nutrition, and population outcomes in
developing countries. For example, programs and projects could directly finance
targets for vaccination, women receiving prenatal care, and babies born with
high Apgar scores which record a baby's summary of vital signs.
For example, the Banks says that Argentina and Rwanda both emphasize reducing
deaths of children under the age of five years in their development plans, but
each country has to take a different path. To reduce infant and neonatal
mortality, Argentina is concentrating on improving provider incentives to
expand access and quality of health service delivery for the poor mothers and
children, particularly for neonatal care.
In contrast, reducing under-five mortality in Rwanda requires a much broader
inter-sectoral approach, entailing, for example, expanding basic vaccine
coverage, increasing access to basic perinatal health services, raising
educational levels, expanding access to safe water and sanitation, improving
access to key micronutrients, and increasing birth space (closely linked to
women's participation in the labor market).
World Bank contribution to health over previous decade
Since the Bank's last health strategy was approved in 1997, the Bank lent US$15
billion and disbursed US$12 billion in HNP for more than 500 projects and
programs in more than 100 client countries, making the Bank one of the world's
largest international financing organizations of health, nutrition, and
population activities in the last decade.
|
MONEY PROVIDED TO HELP WITH WAIT TIMES IN WATERLOO REGION AS NEED FOR MORE PROCEDURES INCREASES
$10,746,635 Million for Cancer and Cataract Surgeries, Cardiac Procedures,
WATERLOO REGION– The Ontario government is building on its successful wait times strategy by funding an additional 14,370 medical procedures this year at St. Mary’s, Grand River and Cambridge Memorial Hospital, John Milloy MPP for Kitchener Centre announced today on behalf of Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman.
“Wait times in this province continue to go down,” said Milloy. “We’ve come a long way from not even being able to measure wait times under the previous Tory government to having a plan that will give local patients quicker access to important medical procedures.”
The government is investing $10,746,635 to fund 14,370 more procedures in Waterloo Region in 2007/08, including:
$3,297,800 for 465 additional total hip and knee joint replacements;
$1,863,400 for 2,681 additional cataract surgeries;
$3,393,631 for 5,925 additional cardiac procedures;
$1,530,504 for 321 additional cancer surgeries;
$520,000 for 3,000 additional MRI exams; and
$141,300 for 1,978 additional CT exams.
“We are very pleased with today’s announcement,” said Moira Taylor CEO of St. Mary’s General Hospital. “The more than $5 million allocated to St. Mary’s will enable us to continue providing patients with timely access to the life-changing and life-saving care they deserve.”
“With the increased funding in these important procedures, Cambridge Memorial is well positioned to provide greater timely access to the residents in our community,” said Julia Dumanian, President and CEO of Cambridge Memorial Hospital. “Thanks to our government, we are proud that Cambridge Memorial will continue to provide and improve.”
Since the launch of Ontario’s Wait Time Strategy in November 2004, the government has invested more than $895 million for approximately 1,270,000 additional procedures for Ontario patients.
“Our Wait Time Strategy is working, as more and more people are getting the care they need sooner,” said Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman. “Ontario families deserve the very best health care, and for a second straight year we are delivering on our promise of shorter wait times throughout the province.”
The initiative is part of the Ontario government's plan for innovation in public health care, building a system that delivers on three priorities – keeping Ontarians healthy, reducing wait times and providing better access to doctors and nurses.
Ontarians can now access the wait time at hospitals throughout Ontario for five key procedures by visiting www.ontariowaittimes.com.
|
Deaths from Cancer and Cardiovascular diseases are indecline
The number of deaths attributable to cancer may soon surpass those caused by cardiovascular diseases. Combined, the two caused about six out of every 10 deaths in 2004.
During the past 25 years, the proportion of deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases has been declining, while the proportion attributable to cancer has been on the rise. In terms of mortality rates, though, both causes of death have been declining, though much more so for cardiovascular disease.
In 1979, cardiovascular diseases were responsible for 47% of all deaths in Canada; by 2004, this percentage had declined to 32%.
The opposite has occurred with cancer, Canada's second main cause of death. In 1979, cancer was responsible for 23% of all deaths in Canada; by 2004, this percentage had increased to 30%.
The impact of these opposing trends is that the share of deaths due to cancer may soon catch up with, and eventually surpass, the share of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases.
In 2004, 66,947 people died from cancer, up 6.8% from 2000. In contrast, 72,338 died from cardiovascular diseases, a 4.9% decline from 2000.
Between 2000 and 2004, 370,861 people in Canada died from cardiovascular diseases. Of this group, 184,282 were males and 186,579 were females. Male deaths (-5.5%) from cardiovascular diseases declined at a slightly faster rate than female deaths (-4.3%).
To control for the impact of population aging on death rates, comparisons over time are made using the "age-standardized mortality rate." The latter removes the effects of differences in the age structure of populations among areas and over time.
The age-standardized mortality rate for cardiovascular diseases declined 16% from 2000 to 2004, while cancer mortality rates declined 4% over the same period.
In 2000, the age-standardized mortality rate for cardiovascular diseases among men was 64% higher than the female rate. By 2004, this gap had narrowed slightly to 62%.
There were 324,486 cancer deaths over the five-year period. Of this total, 171,655 were males and 152,831 were females. Female deaths from cancer increased at a slightly faster rate, 8.5%, than did male deaths, which rose 5.4%.
In 2000, the male age-standardized mortality rate for cancer was 51% higher than the female rate. By 2004, this gap had narrowed substantially to 44%.
By 2004, the age-standardized mortality rates for cardiovascular diseases and cancer converged at around 175 deaths for every 100,000 people in the population. This was due mainly to the sharp drop in the age-standardized mortality rate for cardiovascular diseases.
In 2000, both men and women had higher age-standardized mortality rates for cardiovascular diseases than for cancer.
In 2003 and 2004, age-standardized mortality rates for cancer among women were higher than those for cardiovascular diseases.
| Age-standardized mortality rates1 for cardiovascular diseases and cancer, by sex, Canada, 2000 to 2004 |
| |
Cardiovascular diseases |
Cancer |
| Year |
Both sexes |
Male |
Female |
Both sexes |
Male |
Female |
| 2000 |
209.1 |
268.3 |
164.0 |
180.4 |
225.3 |
149.4 |
| 2001 |
197.5 |
252.6 |
155.4 |
178.7 |
223.8 |
147.6 |
| 2002 |
192.1 |
244.9 |
151.9 |
178.2 |
220.5 |
149.3 |
| 2003 |
185.0 |
238.4 |
144.0 |
175.6 |
215.3 |
148.1 |
| 2004 |
175.6 |
223.7 |
137.9 |
173.7 |
212.1 |
147.0 |
| 1. | Age-standardized mortality rate per 100,000 population. |
|
|
Germany Urges Global Action To Fight Malaria
“EU and Group of Eight president Germany urged rich countries on Tuesday
to do more to fight malaria in Africa and announced the formation of a
European umbrella group to draw attention to the problem.
Germany has said it wants to use its high-profile presidencies this year
to fight poverty and disease on the world's poorest continent. Chancellor
Angela Merkel's government has, however, named no specific targets. … A
day before ‘Africa Malaria Day,’ [on Wednesday, German Development
Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul told a news conference] she would head
the European Alliance Against Malaria, a group of ten organizations from
five EU countries to raise the profile of the problem and coordinate
action. Members of the umbrella group include Germany's Red Cross and the
German World Population Foundation as well as organizations from France,
Belgium, Spain and Britain. ... The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has
given $6 million to the alliance which will cover its costs for three
years, said a spokeswoman.” [Reuters/Factiva]
Meanwhile, BuaNews writes that “A UN malaria partnership plans to provide
funding to 80 percent of African countries who applied for malaria grants.
In addition to the target for African states, the UN-backed Roll Back
Malaria Partnership [created in 1998 by the UN World Health Organization,
the UN Children's Fund, the UN Development Program and the World Bank]
hopes that half of worldwide malaria grant applications would receive
funding. In November 2006, less than a third of all applications qualified
to receive support. … ‘This is the first phase of a massive initiative
both to ensure sustained funding and improve countries' ability to achieve
impact,’ said Awa Marie Coll Seck, the Partnership's Executive Director.
…” [BuaNews (South Africa) and All Africa/Factiva]
Reuters further reports that “The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has
allocated $50 million to help 10 African and Asian countries fight malaria
the bank said on Tuesday. The funds for the emergency program in
malaria-infested IDB member countries are to ensure better distribution
and higher production of serums, vaccine and drugs used against malaria.
They are Burkina Faso, Chad, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Indonesia, Mali,
Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Sudan, IDB said in a statement. The money
will also help fund surveys and research and disseminate successful
experiments to help the recipient countries in their fight against malaria
and diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. …” [Reuters/Factiva]
This Day notes that “On 25 April 2000, African leaders from 44
malaria-endemic countries met in Abuja, Nigeria for the African Summit on
Malaria, where they signed the historic Abuja Declaration and declared 25
April of each year ‘Africa Malaria Day.’ Africa Malaria Day marks the
anniversary of the signing of the 2000 Abuja Declaration, during which
African heads of state committed to reducing malaria-related deaths by
half by the end of this decade.
Malaria still remains one of the most devastating global public health
problems with more than one million deaths every year. Some 3,000 children
die of malaria every day and more than 80 percent of cases occur in
Africa, south of the Sahara. The African Summit on Roll Back Malaria which
held in Abuja in April, 2000 reflected a real convergence of political
momentum, institutional synergy and technical consensus on malaria. …
However, from the laudable projections of the meeting, it remains to be
seen the efforts of most African government to finally tame the malaria
scourge. …” [The Day (Nigeria) and All Africa/Factiva]
|
Allegiance Equity Corporation files Patent Application for new treatment to improve memory, cognitive function, and vitality of life
TORONTO - Allegiance Equity Corporation filed a patent application for an exciting new compound for improvement of memory function, cognitive function, and mental health.
The new proprietary compound, to be named GG-XT, consists of a
synergistic mixture of standardized extracts of ginseng and gingko biloba.
Allegiance and its partners are developing product formulations for
tablets, capsules, and functional foods containing GG-XT. Allegiance will file
a Product License Applications with Health Canada to support the claims for
- Improving memory
- Cognitive function
- Vitality of life
Alzheimers Disease and Dementia
Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person's ability to
carry out daily activities. The most common form of dementia among older
people which initially involves the parts of the brain that control thought,
memory and language.
It is estimated that up to 45 million Americans suffer from Alzheimers.
The disease usually begins after age 60 and risk goes up with age. About 59%
of men and women ages 65 to 74 have Alzheimers disease and nearly half of
those aged 85 and older may have the disease.
|
ONTARIO GOVERNMENT INVESTS IN MORE CRITICAL CARE BEDS IN WATERLOO REGION
Funding Will Enhance Hospital Resources For Better Access To Emergency Care
WATERLOO REGION – The Ontario government is investing $1 million so that patients will have better access to critical care services at Grand River Hospital, John Milloy, MPP for Kitchener Centre, announced April 20, 2007 on behalf of Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman.
The investment will go toward the operation of an additional two critical care beds at Grand River Hospital. The new critical care beds will ensure that critically ill patients flow through the emergency department to the appropriate intensive care or critical care unit. There they will receive 24/7 care from specialized health care teams. It is anticipated that each of these beds will provide access for an additional 47 patients per year.
“We are making sure Grand River Hospital can respond effectively to the needs of critically ill patients,” said Milloy. “This investment will also help the hospital’s emergency department respond better to patient needs by ensuring critical care patients are able to get the care they need.”
Today's announcement is part of a $7.5 million investment to fund 13 additional critical care beds at seven hospitals under the province's $142 million Emergency Department Action Plan. The Plan, announced in October 2006, aims to relieve pressures in hospital emergency departments and to ensure that the health care system has increased capacity to meet the needs of Ontario patients.
“We recognize that hospital emergency departments do not operate in isolation from other health care services,” Smitherman said. “This investment reflects our belief that building capacity in areas such as critical care services will address many of the challenges facing emergency departments.”
Today’s initiative is part of the McGuinty government’s plan for innovation in public health care, building a system that delivers on three priorities - keeping Ontarians healthy, reducing wait times and providing better access to doctors and nurses.
|
Researchers find that neurons compete to become part of memory networks in the brain
TORONTO - Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Columbia University, UCLA, Harvard Medical School and University of California, Irvine have found that there is competition between brain cells during memory formation and that the expression of a particular protein is involved in the success of a brain cell becoming part of a given memory. This research is reported in the April 20 issue of Science.
Memories are thought to be created through the strengthening of
connections between brain cells (neurons) to form a memory trace. Each memory
is thought to be supported by a unique memory trace, involving different
populations of neurons. Previous research showed that not all neurons in a
given structure are needed to form or encode a given memory. In fact, these
findings suggested that only a subset of neurons in a given structure were
necessary to encode a particular memory.
"We wondered why one neuron, rather than its neighbour, seemed to be
chosen for inclusion in a particular memory trace," said Sheena Josselyn,
SickKids scientist in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Canada Research Chair in
Molecular and Cellular Cognition and assistant professor of Physiology at the
University of Toronto. "Competition has previously been shown to be important
during brain development, so we wondered whether competition occurred between
neurons during memory formation in the adult brain."
"Our findings show for the first time that competition between neurons
occurs during memory formation. The 'winner' neurons form the memory trace
whereas the 'losers' are excluded from the trace for that particular memory.
Furthermore, we identified a particular protein, called CREB, which influenc
the outcome of this competition."
The research team also found that increasing CREB function in roughly
20 per cent of neurons in a particular structure rescued the memory deficits
in mice in which the CREB gene had been "knocked out". Their next steps are to
determine how many neurons are sufficient to encode a memory and to test other
proteins that may also influence the outcome of neuronal competition during
memory formation.
Over 30 million North Americans suffer from some type of clinically
recognized learning or memory disorder, from inherited forms of mental
retardation to the gradual weakening of memory with age or the ravages of
Alzheimer's disease. In order to develop new treatment or prevention
strategies, the mechanisms underlying normal memory formation must be
understood.
Members of the research team were Jin-Hee Han, Adelaide Yiu and Christy
Cole from SickKids, Steven Kushner, Anna Matynia, Robert Brown and Alcino
Sliva from UCLA, Rachael Neve of Harvard Medical School and John Guzowski of
the University of California, Irvine.
This research was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research,
the National Institutes of Health and SickKids Foundation.
|
Preventing the “Pathways to Violence” in Schools - One-Day Workshop
Waterloo Region – The Alliance for Children and Youth of Waterloo Region presents “Preventing the Pathways to Violence”, a one-day workshop this Friday, April 20, 2007 featuring Mr. Kevin Cameron, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Threat Assessment and Trauma Response (www.cctatr.com) and consultant to the R.C.M.P.
Workshop participants will learn about the “cumulative” factors and conditions that have influenced recent tragic and high-profile situations of school violence, such as Columbine High School (Littleton, Colorado), W.R. Myers High School (Taber, Alberta), Dawson College (Montreal, Quebec ) and most recently, the tragedy at Virginia Tech University. Mr. Cameron’s research and experience in deconstructing violence in schools has lead to the development of an evolutionary theory about pathways to violence ~ that kids “don’t just snap”. His work suggests how communities can influence the environment around youth. Positive youth engagement and strength-based approaches are a fundamental underpinning of crime and violence prevention in young people.
Date: Friday, April 20, 2007
Location: Bingemans - Marshall Hall, 425 Bingemans Centre Drive, Kitchener
Agenda:
8:30 am: Welcome (Christiane Sadeler, Chair – Alliance for Children & Youth)
“Why are we here?” (Wayne Hobbs, Chair, Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Strategy)
Introduce Kevin Cameron (Deputy Chief Matt Torigian, WRPS)
9:00 am: Kevin Cameron, Keynote Speaker (Part 1 & 2)
12:00 pm: Lunch Break & Networking ** Kevin Cameron will be available for media interviews
during this time. Interview requests must be arranged in advance by calling 519-883-2316
12:45 pm: Message from Ken Seiling, Regional Chair
12:50 pm: Kevin Cameron, Keynote Speaker (Part 3)
2:30 pm: “Now What:” (Tom Connolly, Coordinator, Traumatic Events Response Team, WRDSB)
2:50 pm: Kevin Cameron, Keynote Speaker (summary remarks)
3:15 pm: Closing and Thanks (Christine Bird, Facilitator & Manager, Alliance for Children & Youth)
The Alliance for Children and Youth of Waterloo Region presents this event in partnership with the Community Safety & Crime Prevention Council of Waterloo Region; the Waterloo Region District School Board; and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board.
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Reflections on the Virginia Tech Shooting: Dynamics Which Drive Angry Loners and School Violence
GREAT NECK, NY - "Many of my patients relate to the perpetrators of school shootings," says Jonathan Berent, L.C.S.W., author of "Beyond Shyness: How to Conquer Social Anxieties" (Simon & Schuster). "Countless numbers of my socially avoidant teen and young adult patients have verbalized to me that they understand why kids shoot other kids. There is a definite profile of adolescents who have acted out with school violence in the last decade. These individuals were not socially well adjusted with quality peer relationships. In addition, they were at the lower end of the social 'pecking order' and were often picked on by others, developing internal rage over time and eventually exploding."
Angry loners, such as the Virginia Tech gunman, Cho Seung Hui, experience rage as they are isolated by their social anxiety. Hui was described as "shy" by his peers and reports seem to confirm that he may have suffered from selective mutism. Angry loners such as Jeffrey Dahmer, the serial criminal and psychopath, was referred to as "very shy" as a child by his parents. Theodore Kaczynski, the "Unibomber," would run up to his room and hide as a child when he heard visitors drive their car into his parents' driveway. In both of these cases, characteristics of social anxiety and social avoidance evolved into serious psychiatric conditions.
Most individuals with anger and rage resulting from social anxiety implode, meaning their anger is internalized and repressed. This recycled energy turns into a myriad of problems as the anger drives depression, anxiety, obsessiveness, and a multitude of stress-related disorders. People develop anger when they avoid situations they don't want to be avoiding, or know they shouldn't be avoiding.
There are very few treatment resources available for social anxiety which is the 3rd most prevalent mental health problem. Social anxiety is a "disease" of resistance. Most sufferers do not seek help.
For free diagnostic material and information, visit http://www.socialanxiety.com/area-angry-loners.html
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Area hospital crisis investigator explores how health informatics can create ideal health care
WATERLOO - The provincial investigator who probed the emergency room crisis in Waterloo Region's hospitals will discuss next week how health informatics can create an ideal health-care system in Canada.
In a lecture on Wednesday, April 25, Tom Closson, a health-care management consultant, says he will first discuss the health-care issues facing the country, as well as "the forces that are at work which help or hinder us in addressing the issues."
Then he will explore various visions of an ideal system and offer some ideas on future directions in Ontario and throughout Canada.
"Finally, I will examine how health informatics plays a significant and necessary role in enabling these directions as we strive to achieve an ideal system," says Closson, former president and CEO of University Health Network in Toronto.
His talk, entitled Why Not Create the Ideal Health System Through Health Informatics?, will take place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the William G. Davis Centre, room 1302, on the UW campus.
The lecture is part of the annual smarter-health seminar series, sponsored by the Waterloo Institute for Health Informatics Research (WIHIR). The UW-based institute dedicates the fifth year of its series to the theme Why Not? The question is the catchphrase for UW's 50th anniversary, celebrated throughout 2007.
The series explores such questions as: Why not use the promise of information and communications technologies to improve health and the health-care system in Canada? Why not rethink how we provide health care? Why not do more to make it possible to receive health care at home or in the community?
Other speakers in the series will include Geoffrey Fong, professor of psychology at UW; Michael Kirby, a former Canadian senator; Vimla Patel, professor of biomedical informatics and psychiatry at Columbia University; Dr. Brian Haynes, chair of the department of clinical epidemiology and biostatistics at McMaster University; and Dr. Octo Barnett, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
The seminars are open to the public and admission is free. However, people are asked to register before each seminar. For more information and to register, visit link
For those who cannot travel, the seminars are available via a live webcast and to the Ontario Telehealth Network sites via videoconference. For both, there is an opportunity to ask questions of the speaker.
Health informatics is an interdisciplinary area that develops, extends and applies concepts from computer science, information science, telecommunications and other disciplines with the goal of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of health care.
WIHIR is a trans-disciplinary institute at the University of Waterloo delivering value to the health system through information, information management, and information and communication technologies research.
Seminar sponsors for Closson's talk are the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, Grand River Hospital and St. Mary's General Hospital. Series sponsors are Borden Ladner Gervais, McKesson Canada, Smart Systems for Health Agency and Healthcare Information Management and Communications Canada.
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You've Been Diagnosed with a Brain Tumour-How to Manage Your Work and Personal Life During Your Treatment
Level of Disclosure: Brain Tumour Foundation Provides HR tips on Communicating Your Brain Tumour in Your Workplace
TORONTO - Being diagnosed with a brain tumour can be extremely scary and an overwhelming life-altering event. But people affected by a brain tumour can be in control and manage both their work and personal lives while keeping their privacy and dignity in the workplace intact. Brain Tumour Foundation would like to invite you to talk with survivors, human resources professionals, and a leading medical professional on how to manage and cope with everyday life during and after treatment.
- Live Life Through Her Eyes: Lily Kotwal, an employee of Deloitte & Touche LLP is available to share her personal and deeply moving story about the impact her brain tumour treatment has had on both her personal and professional life. She can provide you with real life examples of how she coped with her life during and after her treatment.
Lily can also talk about Deloitte's creation of "Team Lily" in Brain Tumour Foundation's annual Spring Sprint walk in Toronto and how important it is for her to have her workplace supporting her in and outside of the office.
- Communicating with Your Workplace: Beth Tyndall, vice-chair of Brain Tumour Foundation and vice-president of Navantis Inc. can provide you with tips on the best way to communicate your brain tumour to your employer and manage the communication process in the workplace. She can also talk about strategies to manage your work-life balance during and after treatment.
- Managing Your Medical Treatment: Dr. James Perry, Chief of Neurology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and leading medical professional in the brain tumour field, is able to talk about how he coaches and helps his brain tumour patients manage their own treatment and their lives.
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Liability Risks Not a Barrier to Health Care Collaboration
Ottawa – Some health professionals and organizations perceive legal liability risk to be a barrier to delivering health services in collaborative teams, but a Conference Board of Canada report suggests that liability is not the obstacle they say it is.
“Based on this research, the possibility of a malpractice suit should not be put forward as a reason to stop health professionals from collaborating,” said Gabriela Prada, Principal Research Associate and author of Liability Risks in Interdisciplinary Care: Thinking Outside the Box. ”Although collaborative practices are not risk-free for health practitioners, these can be overcome with a number of straight-forward strategies, all of which contribute to patient safety and quality of care.”
Governments and health professional groups alike are advocating the benefits of collaborative care, where two or more professionals, such as physicians and nurses, bring together their skills and knowledge to assist patients and clients with their health needs.
Some professionals remain hesitant to adopt team-based care. They express concerns that these practices may increase their exposure to liability risks, and that they may be held accountable for the negligent acts of their colleagues. They also contend that courts may base their judgements on the traditional models of health care delivery, instead of new collaborative arrangements.
This research, however, suggests that Canadian courts seem to have “moved with the times”—they recognize that collaborative arrangements are often used in patient care and that a team approach is desirable. Courts have always assessed liability against individuals, even in cases involving health professionals working as a team. Therefore, it is likely that courts will continue to assess the standard of care expected of a health professional (given their qualifications and experience) on an individual basis.
Liability risks in collaborative practice can be overcome, or at least controlled. Straight-forward solutions include: clear roles among team members; strong communication among health practitioners and with patients and their families; accurate and complete health records; and informed consent that covers the details of the interdisciplinary care proposed to the patient.
Recommendations in the report include:
Governments should work with professional associations to dispel health professionals’ fear of liability in interdisciplinary care.
Health-care institutions need to ensure that:
Health-care professionals act according to their professional standards of practice and comply with their regulatory colleges.
Policies are in place to guide interdisciplinary care and to clarify roles, responsibilities and processes; in addition, that all health professionals are aware of these policies.
Organizations have malpractice liability insurance for both the organization and its employees.
All professionals have appropriate malpractice liability insurance/protection.
Health professionals need to understand their scope of practice, their limitations as set out in provincial legislation, and the scopes of practice of the other health professionals in their team.
Health professionals need to comply with policies governing their interdisciplinary interactions.
Carriers of liability insurance and protection programs should consider exchanging data on malpractice liability cases.
Governments and (or) regulators should consider legislation to make liability insurance/protection mandatory for all active health professionals involved in interdisciplinary practices.
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New study shows how people with low-esteem can help themselves
WATERLOO, Ont. - People with low self-esteem can help themselves by thoroughly reviewing and taking to heart any compliments from their loved ones, a new University of Waterloo study says.
Denise Marigold, a UW psychology graduate student, says that people with low self-esteem tend to doubt how much their romantic partners love and value them. One way to counter that is for them to describe or reframe praise from their partners in an abstract manner, explaining why their partners admired them and what the compliments meant to them.
"The novel aspect of our approach is that it helps people with low self-esteem to help themselves," Marigold says. "It may be empowering for them to learn how to meaningfully reframe their partners' affirmations in order to assuage their doubts about their partners' love for them."
Previous research has shown they underestimate how much they are actually loved by their partners. "These unwarranted insecurities can have very negative consequences for their relationships," Marigold says.
When feeling particularly insecure about their partners' love, people with low self-esteem protect themselves by devaluing their relationships and keeping their partners at a distance. "Over time, these defensive behaviours tarnish their partners' rosy views and ultimately undermine the well-being of the relationship."
While it might be assumed that being told by their partners how much they are loved could reduce the insecurities of people with low self-esteem, past research indicates they react unfavourably to direct positive feedback.
In fact, compliments seem to heighten their self-doubts, leading them to worry that they cannot live up to such a positive self-image.
"They feel that they will eventually be rejected when the 'truth' is revealed," Marigold says. "In the current research, we sought to find a way to increase their sense of relationship security by highlighting their valued qualities in a manner that circumvented the activation of self-doubts."
As part of the research, undergraduate participants recalled a compliment that they had recently received from their current romantic partner. People with low self-esteem typically viewed these compliments as relatively isolated, past events that did not meaningfully indicate how much they were valued more generally.
Participants were then asked to describe the compliment in an abstract fashion. In other words, they explained why their partner admired them, what the compliment meant to them and what significance it had for their relationship.
When people with low self-esteem described a past compliment from their partner in an abstract manner, compared with participants who were not asked to use an abstract description, they reported increased positive feelings and thoughts related to the compliment.
These positive feelings, in turn, raised their currently reported level of self-esteem, their feelings of security in their partners' acceptance and their relationship satisfaction.
Importantly, their cognitive refram | |
