Hundreds of residents from the Waterloo region will soon begin visiting the mobile clinic in downtown Kitchener to participate in Statistics Canada’s brand new Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS).

The CHMS is the most extensive national survey on physical health measures ever conducted in the country. The results will capture a broad portrait of the health of Canadians by gathering baseline data on a variety of concerns, including cardiovascular health, nutritional status, as well as exposure to infectious disease and environmental contaminants.

The CHMS mobile clinic will be located at 44 Gaukel St., on the site of the CDI College in Kitchener, from November until late December. The CHMS will collect information from about 350 pre-selected residents from around the Waterloo region. In addition to the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo, the clinic will receive participants from Woolwich Township, including the communities of Conestogo, Elmira, Maryhill and St. Jacobs.

The CHMS will help evaluate the health of a representative sample of 5,000 Canadians in 15 sites across the country over the next two years. It was launched earlier this year in Clarington, Ont. and later travelled to the Montérégie region in Québec, to Moncton, N.B., the North York and Etobicoke areas of Toronto, Ont. and then Montréal, Que. The Kitchener-Waterloo area is the survey’s sixth stop; the CHMS will visit three more sites in Ontario over the next two years, including Northumberland County, the Don Valley area of Toronto and St. Catharines-Niagara.

Representatives from Waterloo Public Health were invited to attend an information meeting about the survey.

Waterloo Regional Chair, and Waterloo Board of Health Chair, Ken Seiling said he was delighted with the CHMS’s appearance in the area and encouraged members of all selected households to participate. "By gathering important new information, it will be possible to develop new policies and programs which will improve public health and engage people in public health issues. We will all better understand the health of Canadians as this data is collected across Canada with interviews and health measurements. In Waterloo Region, we believe that improved public health programs will be the result of this survey.”

The purpose of the CHMS is to address longstanding gaps within Canada’s health surveillance system. Policy makers, provincial health departments, researchers and health professionals from many fields have expressed a need for a national, comprehensive source of accurate health measures to assist them in addressing the health needs of Canadians.

Conducting the survey

The survey will be conducted in two stages: a household interview and a visit to the mobile clinic. In Waterloo region, household interviews begin November 1. The clinic itself will begin operation November 17 for a period of about six weeks.

During household interviews, Statistics Canada staff will ask general questions on health (diet, medical history, health status) and lifestyle. Then, at the mobile clinic, qualified health professionals will take direct physical measurements, including height, weight, blood pressure and pulmonary capacity. Participants will also receive an oral health examination and take certain tests assessing their physical condition. Finally, blood and urine samples will be collected to test for cardiovascular health, nutritional status as well as exposure to infectious diseases and environmental contaminants.

Only the pre-selected residents can participate in the survey. Those who choose to do so will receive a report on their physical measurements and tests upon leaving the clinic and the results of their laboratory tests 8 to 12 weeks later.

“The combination of interviews and physical measurements will produce more accurate statistics about the general health of Canadians than have ever been available before,” said Jeanine Bustros, Director of Statistics Canada’s Physical Health Measures Division. She also stated that “the data will help in establishing maximum permissible levels for various substances, such as environmental contaminants, that for now are often established based on American studies.”

The CHMS is a partnership between Statistics Canada, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Over the four years of the survey’s development, Statistics Canada has consulted with a wide range of health professionals to ensure that the information collected during the survey meets the needs of researchers and decision-makers in Canada. www.statcan.ca/chms.

As of 2005, influenza vaccination rates were increasing across Canada after an apparent levelling off in 2003, according to an article published today in Health Reports.

Even so, many who are considered to be at high risk for serious complications from influenza infection—specifically, younger people with chronic conditions and seniors—are not being vaccinated.

Nationally, influenza vaccination rates nearly doubled from 1996/1997 to 2000/2001, increasing from 15% to 27%. After stabilizing between 2000/2001 and 2003, the rates increased to 34% in 2005.

Ontario, which since 2000 has provided free flu shots for residents aged six months and older, led the provinces, with vaccination rates rising from 18% to 42% between 1996/1997 and 2005.

Newfoundland and Labrador, with a 22% rate in 2005, ranked lowest among the provinces.

Targets for high-risk groups largely unmet
For vulnerable populations such as the elderly, young children and those with chronic medical conditions, influenza can lead to serious complications and even death.

In 1993, a national consensus conference on influenza set target vaccination coverage rates of 70% for adults aged 65 or older and for all adults with chronic medical conditions. These targets were raised to 80% in 2005.

In 2005, vaccination rates among the elderly compared favourably with the 70% target set in 1993. Among individuals aged 65 or older, those with at least one chronic condition met that target. It was also met by individuals aged 75 or older with no chronic conditions, while 62% of those aged 65 to 74 without chronic conditions were vaccinated, just short of the target.

However, the new 80% target set in 2005 was reached only by seniors aged 75 or older with chronic conditions.

Vaccination rates were much lower among people younger than 65 with chronic conditions. Just 56% of individuals aged 50 to 64 with chronic conditions were vaccinated in 2005, as were only about one-third of those younger than 50 with chronic conditions.

Effect of universal vaccination programs
Immediately after the introduction of the universal vaccination program, rates spiked for younger age groups in Ontario relative to other provinces. By contrast, the trend was flat among the elderly, who were previously covered in most provinces.

For 12- to 64-year-olds, the gap in vaccination rates between Ontario and other provinces observed in 2000/2001 was reduced slightly among those with chronic conditions, but not among those without. For older adults, the difference between Ontario and other provinces has narrowed slightly over time.

Nonetheless, vaccination rates are not solely determined by the type of program employed. Although Yukon has offered free flu shots to everyone aged 18 or older since 1999, its vaccination rates are generally the lowest among the territories. And, even without a universal vaccination program, Nova Scotia has matched Ontario's vaccination rates among high-risk groups.

In addition, Nunavut achieved the highest vaccination rates among the elderly, as well as among young, healthy individuals, even before the introduction of their universal vaccination program.

TORONTO - The Toronto Centre for Phenogenomics (TCP) today announced its official opening in the heart of Toronto's Discovery District. This state-of-the-art facility will enable groundbreaking research and discovery, with the goal of advancing human health.

Already acclaimed by researchers worldwide, the TCP, through modeling of disease, will seek cures and treatments in areas such as diabetes, cancer, musculoskeletal disease, cardiovascular and renal function, embryonic development, and learning and memory. "We are enabling research and we are doing research to make a difference in health care for Canadians," says Dr. Colin McKerlie, the TCP's Interim CEO, and a researcher who will be taking advantage of the TCP facilities.

The largest centre of its kind in Canada, the TCP houses 110,000 gross sq?ft of custom-designed laboratory space. It promises to be a cutting-edge provider of research tools, technologies and services, delivering "breakthroughs" such as advanced imaging techniques, and supported by the newest robotics equipment and technology.

The TCP is being launched as part of Ontario's response to university expansions, the growing innovation economy, and the resulting charge to increase the scientific research capacity of the province.

The initial concept of the TCP originated with Dr. Janet Rossant, a world leader in developmental biology. Dr. Rossant led the grant application to the Canada Foundation for Innovation that quickly became a collaboration among four founding member research hospitals: Mount Sinai Hospital, St. Michael's Hospital, The Hospital for Sick Children, and the University Health Network, which encompasses Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, and Princess Margaret Hospital.

"This collaboration is a promising response to increasingly constrained resources," says Rossant. "In this facility, we are not only collecting and sharing information, we are sharing decisions and ownership, vision and responsibility - expanding the capacity of each partner while contributing to the powerhouse that is Toronto's health research community."

"Research creates the best medicine, and this exciting four-hospital membership will bring together some of the brightest minds in science to improve the quality of clinical care and help keep Toronto and Ontario at the forefront of health research," reflects Joseph Mapa, President and CEO, Mount Sinai Hospital.

Dr. Stephen Lye, Associate Director of the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, agrees on a key strength of the Centre: "The TCP is a remarkable, world-class resource, providing researchers in our member institutions a competitive advantage in their search to understand and conquer disease."

Funding for this $69 million enterprise was a collaboration among different levels of government, the Member Hospitals, and industry. Sources included the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) ($26,771,045), the Ontario Government through the Ontario Innovation Trust (OIT) ($26,771,045), Member Hospital contributions ($11,427,717), and industry-based donations in kind ($4,183,717).

"This new facility defines cutting-edge, and exemplifies partnership," says Dr. Eliot Phillipson, President and CEO of the CFI. "The TCP will allow researchers from multiple institutions and disciplines to transform innovative ideas into groundbreaking research. The advancements that this facility will enable are sure to have a real and positive impact on the lives of all Canadians."

"I am very pleased and excited that Ontario's investment in the TCP through the Ontario Innovation Trust, is helping to solidify our province as a world-class centre for innovative research and scientific discovery," says Dr. Cal Stiller, Chair of the Ontario Innovation Trust. "This innovative scientific collaboration among four of our leading research hospitals will lead to new discoveries faster than individuals or institutions working alone could achieve. Using models is the shortest bridge to remarkable discoveries that are relevant to human disease."

Looking ahead, and as research unfolds, the TCP will provide enormous added value. It will be a training space for the next-generation of talented Canadian researchers whose work will help us understand the biology of disease, help identify and validate new drug targets, assess the genetics of drug responses, and on many fronts improve the long-term health of our population. And it will be a leader in the advancement of North American and global genomics efforts, attracting and retaining pre-eminent Canadian and international researchers and teams.

The donation by Manulife's Canadian Division was announced at an event in Montreal by Manulife Financial President and Chief Executive Officer Dominic D'Alessandro, who also personally donated $500,000 to the campaign. Mr. D'Alessandro is co-chair of the MNI's fundraising campaign, which is a five-year $40-million initiative to invest in people and expand facilities and services.

"Manulife is a global company and it is important for us to support organizations like the Montreal Neurological Institute, whose influence extends far beyond Canada's borders as a leading research facility," Mr. D'Alessandro said. "The MNI is embarking on brilliant and innovative research programs to improve the quality of life of their patients and others around the world."

David R. Colman, Director, MNI, added: "We are delighted that Manulife and Dominic D'Alessandro have chosen to play such lead roles in our campaign. Their support of the MNI will allow us to start up new research directions that ultimately we hope will markedly improve the quality of life for those of us who are debilitated by neurological disease."

Lead gifts from Brenda Milner, the Dorothy J. Killam Professor of Neuropsychology at the MNI and the Cyril & Dorothy and Joel & Jill Reitman Family Foundation were also announced today.

"Corporations and individuals have to step up to allow the kind of ground breaking research that is necessary to lead the world," added Paul Rooney, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manulife Canada. "I am pleased that Manulife is in a position to help and believe that it is our responsibility to do what we can to make a difference."

OTTAWA - The Competition Bureau announced that it has received the 2007 Edward Mazak Advancement in Public Awareness Award in recognition of the Bureau's efforts to focus consumer attention on important health fraud issues through its Fraud Prevention Forum work.

The award, from the Canadian Health Care Anti-fraud Association (CHCAA), is given to an individual or organization that excels in raising public awareness of health-care fraud.

"The Competition Bureau is proud of its efforts to improve the accuracy of information that reaches consumers and is grateful to see them acknowledged through this award," said Sheridan Scott, Commissioner of Competition. "This award is further proof that the effort we put into consumer education initiatives has been successful. We intend to keep our focus in this area."

The Bureau has been active in fighting health-related fraud, due to the serious repercussions it can carry both for the economy and individuals. The Bureau targets health fraud issues including: bogus weight-loss schemes, cure-all scams and products claiming false health benefits.

In 2004, the Bureau organized the Fraud Prevention Forum, a concerned group of private sector firms, consumer and volunteer groups, and government and law enforcement agencies committed to fighting fraud aimed at consumers and businesses. The Forum, chaired by the Bureau, conducts a Fraud Prevention Month campaign in March of every year. The Forum's work, which complements enforcement efforts in the field of health-care fraud, has included consumer alerts, Web awareness campaigns, and international collaboration to combat diabetes and weight-loss fraud.

The CHCAA, founded in 2000, includes public and private-sector health-care organizations interested in preventing fraud in the Canadian health care environment.

Members of the public that suspect a fraudulent activity or are contacted by scam artists should call PhoneBusters, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre, at 1-888-495-8501.

The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency. We contribute to the prosperity of Canadians by protecting and promoting competitive markets and enabling informed consumer choice.

KITCHENER - Installation of the first 16 Automated External Defibrillators (AED) at City facilities has started with the first two units being installed at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.

The AED installations are part of an agreement the City entered into with the Regional Municipality of Waterloo's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) division, which will act as coordinator on behalf of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario's (HSFO) Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) program.

Automated External Defibrillators (AED) offer victims of sudden cardiac arrest a better chance for survival. An AED is a machine that analyses and looks for shock able heart rhythms, advises a rescuer of the need for defibrillation and, if needed, delivers that shock.

'"Having the AEDs at our facilities is critical," says Councillor Berry Vrbanovic, Co-chair of the Safe and Healthy Committee," when statistics clearly show that with each passing minute, the probability of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest declines by seven to 10 per cent."

Although funding for the first 12 AEDs has been approved, the AED committee plans to have units installed at four other locations: the Downtown Community Centre, the Kitchener Farmers Market, City Hall and a Special Events Unit.

The AED committee plans to have them installed through funding from the City's 2007 capital budget.

Kitchener has already identified a need for 38 units. Feasibility studies have also identified a number of City facilities as priorities in terms of implementing the PAD program, based on high-risk user groups (sports and older adults), the volume of patron traffic in each facility and the seasonal operation of each location.

In July, the HSFO announced that the Region of Waterloo would receive 50 AED units to share with municipalities. Under the agreement, the Region authorizes the placement for each municipality's PAD program.

The first 12 units will be placed at these priority locations around the City of Kitchener:

Kitchener Memorial Auditorium (2)
Lions Arena
Don McLaren Arena
Grand River Arena
Patrick Doherty Arena
Rockway Senior Centre
Breithaupt Community Centre
Grand River Recreation Complex
Forest Heights Community Pool
Rockway Golf Course
Doon Valley Golf Course

The AED committee plans to submit another funding grant application to the HSFO in 2008 and also plans to bring forward options for funding the remaining AED units during the City's 2008 capital budget deliberations.

The goal is to ensure funds are there so the PAD program is in full operation by fall 2008.

"This exciting initiative has the potential to dramatically improve survival rates for heart attack victims in our community," says Vrbanovic.

Background:

The AED project was initiated following a recommendation from the Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee that the units should be installed in key city facilities.

Funding for the AEDs comes from a $3-million donation to the HSFO from the Province of Ontario, as well as the City's 2007 capital budget.

The average cost of adding an AED unit to a facility is $4,000 based on a cost of $2,500 a unit, the wall case ($500) and the allotment of $1,000 for training staff per unit.

Overall the City will train 120 staff and/or volunteers in CPR-C and AED certification. Funds are included that support 8 to 10 trained personnel at each AED location.

People struggling with obesity could one day be treated using a naturally produced hormone as an appetite suppressant, thanks to new research by a University of Guelph scientist.

Prof. Larry Grovum, Department of Biomedical Sciences, recently tested the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) on pigs and found it was effective in exciting sensors that detect the filling of the stomach. Exciting these sensors then tricks the brain into believing the stomach is full.

“It’s a naturally produced chemical that could soon become the basis of a marketable diet pill to treat human obesity,” said Grovum, who conducted the tests with graduate student Bill Ellison. “Since CCK acts similarly in pigs and people, it’s highly likely that this system can be used to suppress appetites and help those wanting to lose weight.”

Not only can it be used to create an enhanced natural feeling of fullness during a meal, but the hormone can also suppress appetite between meals, he said.

CCK is released naturally by the body when digestion of food begins. This hormone makes the pancreas secrete enzymes to break down food and makes the gall bladder contract to release bile, which enables fat absorption in the small intestine.

Although the hormone was tested in rats in the 1970s, a lengthy debate followed about the validity of the test, said Grovum. It was argued by some that the doses used produced excessively high levels of CCK in the blood and suppressed appetite by making the rats sick.

"The higher the dosage, the more likely there will be side effects and it won't be safe."

Grovum's research is the first to show the hormone is effective at generating feelings of fullness when injected at low dosages, similar to the amounts produced naturally by the body.

He is also the first researcher to use pigs in testing out CCK as an appetite suppressant. The digestive tracts of pigs and humans are similar, so the research is more applicable to humans than tests conducted in the past on small animals, he said.

Now that he has determined CCK is the key to suppressing appetite, Grovum said the next step is to find other compounds that can be taken as a pill to amplify the fullness effect of CCK released naturally during meals.

“People would then feel full more quickly, eat less and lose weight.”

Developing an effective diet pill that produces natural feelings of fullness is a huge step towards helping people who are obese take off the weight.

“Diet and exercise works in only five per cent of people and is totally irrelevant for people who are grossly obese and need help to get the weight off in the first place. This research could help those who are grossly obese take off the weight and keep it off."

Public input is important as we develop the future of EMS in Waterloo Region.

WATERLOO - Michael Kirby, the inaugural chair of Canada's new mental health commission, will discuss the future of eHealthcare and resistance to change in the health-care system.

In a public lecture on Wednesday, Sept. 26, Kirby will explore why health-care providers, who are keen to make use of the latest drugs, tests and technology, are reluctant to embrace the benefits of a modern electronic management system. He will speak starting at 3 p.m. in the William G. Davis Centre, room 1302, on the UW campus.

The former Canadian senator's lecture, entitled Why Not eHealthcare Now? The Resistance to Change in Our Healthcare System, will explore the financial, professional and psychological reasons for this resistance to change in order to understand how e-health can best be implemented in Canada.

"Health care is the most information intensive industry in Canada," he says in an abstract on his talk. "Each year there are more than one billion encounters between patients and the health-care system. Yet virtually all of the information generated by these encounters is recorded on paper rather than electronically."

Kirby asks: "Why is it that patients are so concerned about the privacy of their personal data that they resist the introduction of modern information systems, even when it can be shown that privacy can be maintained in such systems? Why is it that governments, which have been so willing to fund new advances in medical technology, are so reluctant to fund information systems technology in health care?"

As a member of the Senate from 1984 to 2006, Kirby was the chairman of the standing senate committee on social affairs, science and technology, which studied the health-care system and produced the 2002 report, entitled The Health State of Canadians -- The Federal Role. Under his leadership, the committee also produced the first-ever national report on mental health, mental illness and addiction, Out of the Shadows at Last.

At present, Kirby is the special ministerial adviser on mental health and the first chair of the federal government's recently launched Mental Health Commission of Canada.

Before entering government, Kirby was a professor in the schools of business administration and public administration at Dalhousie University. He was also a faculty member at the business schools of the University of Chicago and the University of Kent in Britain. His involvement in the private sector has included senior vice-president positions at Canadian National and Goldfarb Consultants, an international market research firm based in Toronto.

The lecture is part of the annual smarter-health seminar series, sponsored by the Waterloo Institute for Health Informatics Research. The UW-based institute has dedicated 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 seminars are open to the public and admission is free. However, people are asked to register prior to each seminar.

For those who cannot travel, the seminars are available by a live webcast, and by videoconference to Ontario Telehealth Network sites.

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 UW delivering value to the health system through information, information management, and information and communication technologies research. The smarter-health seminar series is sponsored by Borden Ladner Gervais LLP , McKesson Information Solutions and Healthcare Information Management and Communications Canada. The Michael Kirby seminar is also sponsored by the Centre for International Governance Innovation and the Faculty of Science.

The opening reception, which is free to the public, will be held at the Kitchener Public Library, 85 Queen Street North, Kitchener from 6:00pm - 9:00pm. Two unique Canadian films created by youth will be shown, including:

“Hear the Story” (Toronto, 2005, 28min) ~ A film created by Toronto youth that eloquently describes their struggle with unemployment, discrimination and violence and how they are taking control of their own futures.

“The Point” (Montreal, 2006, 97min) with special guest

Set in a multi-racial inner-city neighbourhood and based on stories crafted from the real lives of its teenage collaborators, The Point is a raw, kid's eye view of the teen hang-outs, homes and streets that unite and divide them. A fresh drama on teenage life on the wrong side of the tracks, The Point gives sound and vision to the voice of today's youth. Their stories, told in their own vernacular, reflect how they experience their world. Acclaimed Director Joshua Dorsey will join us to speak about working with street-involved youth in Montreal to create this film.

Regional Chair Ken Seiling will be on hand to provide opening remarks and the opening reception will feature short films from Vancouver, Australia, Cambodia, Thunder Bay as a preview of what is to come over the next ten weeks.

In The Mind's Eye 2007 will showcase more than 50 free events about issues of drugs and alcohol, presented by Waterloo Region Community Safety & Crime Prevention Council in collaboration with Region of Waterloo Public Health. We know that 80% of people in Canada are closely connected to someone dealing with an addiction; yet addiction is often stigmatized. The series is unique in North America and will be held September 19- November 30 at various locations throughout Waterloo Region. Check out www.inthemindseye.ca for the full schedule of events.

Waterloo - Another school year has begun and with it looms another flu season. The very real possibility of an influenza pandemic also looms, according to many informed health-care sources. Wilfrid Laurier University’s Pandemic Planning Working Group has been busy developing the university’s overall plan, as well as coming up with ways to ensure members of the university community are informed about the issues.

A pandemic website has been developed (www.wlu.ca/pandemic) and there will be a Pandemic Awareness display (complete with hand-washing station!) in the concourse on Thursday, September 13.

Drop by the booth from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to:
• Pick up some information sheets and bookmarks about how you can prepare and protect yourself in the event of an influenza pandemic
• Learn proper hand-washing techniques
• Enter a draw for first-aid kits!

“Pandemic flu preparedness doesn’t fit neatly under any specific department’s responsibility,” says Stephanie Kibbee, manager of Environmental/Occupational Health & Safety, and a member of the Pandemic Planning Working Group. “In many ways, it’s everyone’s responsibility, and the university would face numerous challenges if a pandemic was to occur. So it’s important for all of us to prepare and understand what to do.”

“We hope that the pandemic awareness activities will better inform our students, faculty and staff about their role in preparedness, and provide them with checklists and prevention strategies,” says Kibbee.

Guelph - About 25 per cent of Ontario's junior kindergartners are overweight or at risk for being overweight, and the percentage increases as children get older, a University of Guelph professor has found in the first long-term study of four- to eight-year-olds.

In addition, children who were overweight or at risk for being overweight in JK were six times more likely to be overweight four years later, said Susan Evers of Guelph's Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition. Her research was published recently in the Journal of American College Nutrition.

Evers and three colleagues took body mass index (BMI) measurements of 760 children from JK to Grade 3. To be considered overweight, the children had to have a BMI above the 95th percentile.

“You would expect that only five per cent of the children would fall into that category,” said Evers. “What we found was that, in junior kindergarten, it was close to 10 per cent and that it steadily increased up to 15 per cent by Grade 3.”

In addition, 14 per cent of JKs and 17 per cent of Grade 3ers were at risk for being overweight with a BMI from the 85th to 95th percentile.

More than half the children were measured annually four or five times over the next few years, allowing the researchers to determine how being overweight in JK affected their future weight.

“Children whose BMI was between the 85th and 95th percentile in JK had almost six times the risk of being overweight four years later compared with those below the 85th percentile,” said Evers.

The researchers didn’t find a sex difference in the prevalence of overweight children.

“Obesity is an established risk factor for both non-insulin-dependent diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adults,” Evers said. “The long-term consequences of being overweight in childhood are also alarming.”

Participating children were all part of the Better Beginnings, Better Futures project, a prevention initiative in low-income communities in Ontario.

The researchers also looked at the mothers’ BMI, education level, birthplace, age and poverty status. They found that children whose mothers were overweight were more likely to be overweight in JK.

“Almost 50 per cent of the mothers were overweight themselves,” Evers said. “A positive change in the diets of parents could result in better eating habits among children.”

She admits that changing household eating habits presents a challenge for low-income families. “Interventions promoting increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and reduced intakes of foods high in fat and low in fibre won’t work unless economically disadvantaged households have access to appropriate foods.”

There are also more barriers for lower-income families to increase levels of physical activity, she said. “Lack of transportation, the cost of equipment and fees for certain sports, a lack of child care for siblings, and a shortage of well-equipped playgrounds are some of the obstacles facing low-income families.”

Plan calls for focus on 4 key priorities - including a focus on health of kids.

TORONTO - On September 4, 2007 the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) released the "Four Priorities" that Ontario doctors believe are critical to ensuring the future of health care in our province. This third phase of the OMA's Campaign for Healthier Care is intended to help political leaders, patients and health-care professionals understand the full scope of the problems facing health-care in Ontario and to stimulate discussion on what we can do now to fix our health system.

"With the provincial election on the horizon, our political leaders are defining how they are going to ensure care for Ontario's patients," said Dr. Janice Willett, President of the OMA. "With this phase of the campaign we are calling for a focus on 4 key areas that require immediate attention and investment."

<< The "Four Priorities" doctors have deemed essential to improving patient care are:

- Fix the shortage of health care professionals. Ontario is short 2,000 doctors and 8,000 nurses. We'd lose another 2,500 doctors if those who are 65 and over decided to retire. We need to do more, faster, to retain and train new professionals.

- Implement the patient e-record. The costs to patient safety and efficiency of not having the e-record are too high. We must invest what it takes, and accelerate the timetable.

- Ensure the right care, when, where and how people need it. We need to ensure that patients are accessing the right care from the right providers as close to home as possible. It's essential that the quality of care is not compromised.

- Commit to raising a generation of healthier kids. Obesity and exposure to second-hand smoke continue to put kids at risk. We must do more to ensure that kids don't have to spend a lifetime living with serious illness. >>

According to various studies, our population is growing and a large portion of Ontarians are older and facing higher rates of chronic disease. Unless we focus on these priorities, doctors fear our health-care system will not be able to cope with growing patient needs.

"By outlining the areas of our system that we need to focus on, doctors are hopeful that our provincial leaders will see that with the right commitment and investment we will have the kind of health system that Ontario will need," said Dr. Willett.

The third phase of the Campaign for Healthier Care begins next week. The $500,000 media campaign consists of radio and print advertising and a Campaign website, www.healthiercare.ca - with a forum where the public can hear and see the ads and participate in the Healthier Care dialogue.

"Of greatest importance is the type of fat one chooses," adds Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, ADA's co-author and distinguished professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University.

"The healthiest choices are unsaturated fats found in liquid vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, and omega -3 unsaturated fats found in fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and shellfish. On the other hand, saturated and trans fats should be kept to a minimum," Kris-Etherton says. "Saturated fats are found in tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil, fatty meats and high fat dairy products. Trans fat are often found in commercial baked goods, crackers and high fat snack foods, although government and industry are working together to reduce or eliminate trans fat in foods. Look on the Nutrition Facts panel of packaged food labels to find the amount of total fat, saturated and trans fat and try to choose those foods with the lowest amounts," advises Dr. Kris-Etherton.

The joint ADA/DC position paper recommends people follow a food-based approach for achieving these fatty acid recommendations. This healthy eating pattern:

- is high in vegetables and fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds,
- includes lean protein such as lean meats, poultry, and low-fat dairy products,
- emphasizes fish, especially fatty fish high in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout,
- uses non-hydrogenated margarines and oils.

A copy of the position paper is available on the Dietitians of Canada website at http://www.dietitians.ca/news/highlights_positions.asp.

A fact sheet that puts the scientific language of the position paper into practical, consumer-friendly tips for healthy eating is available at:
www.dietitians.ca/news/frm_resource/imageserver.asp?id=841&document_type=document&popup=true&contentid=8435.

For guidance on reading food labels to make healthy food choices check out www.healthyeatingisinstore.ca.

MARKHAM - As school gets back in session, and children are challenged with academic and extracurricular achievement, make sure they make the grade with their dietary choices as well. Studies show that many children do not even meet the minimum serving recommendations for the four food groups, and yet more youth are overweight and at risk of obesity-related diseases.

Eager to counter the ever present lure of fast food and unhealthy options, the efforts to orient children toward more fresh fruits, vegetables and nutritionally dense foods has become a 21st century crusade for parents, teachers and policy makers. "A healthy, balanced daily diet for kids may sound like simple common sense, but many of us parents feel handicapped by the constant forces that draw children toward junk food habits," says Doug Woolsey, founder of ET TU Salad Kits and a public outreach program promoting family health and welfare, called Family Mealtime.

With seven out of 10 Canadian children ages 4 to 8 years old falling short of the recommended five servings of vegetables and fruit daily, what's a parent to do?

"Active, creative parenting in this area, will inevitably shape choices. Indeed, children can acquire a taste for healthy foods," says Woolsey.

In fact, research supports that given repeated exposure, a child's aversion to a particular healthy food can actually come full circle. A 2003 report published in the journal Appetite, from researchers at University College in London, studied the effect of parents offering a daily taste of a vegetable for which the child had indicated a disliking. Tested against situations where the daily tasting encouragement was not provided, those kids who received everyday exposure increased their liking and consumption of the food. In some cases, foods which the youngsters previously wouldn't touch, had now become their favourites.

The ET TU Family Mealtime campaign offers these suggestions to encourage kids to eat more fruits and veggies:

-- Pack fresh fruits, and vegetable crudites or a salad in their daily school lunch. Kids will most often eat what is packed and the frequency of inclusion helps them gain a palate for the desired foods.

-- Take kids to the produce section to have them help pick out fruits and vegetables with you. Encourage them to select something they have never tried, and make an event of preparing it and enjoying it together. Even research some folklore about the food to share for fun and learning.

-- Add vegetable purees to your recipes in preparations like pasta sauces, soups, casseroles and meatloaf, increasing the nutritional density of the food and downplaying kids' potential resistance to "more vegetables."

-- Craft vegetables into a variety of "kid-fave" foods, like loading a pizza with a delicious mix of seasoned vegetables, fashioning a chicken Caesar salad into whole wheat wraps or creating mixed veggie, bean and brown rice tacos.

-- Promote fresh fruit as the basis for desserts and occasional sweet treats. Help kids become accustomed to the taste of a piece of fresh fruit as a sweet, so that sugary foods taste too sweet to them.

Remember, regularly engaging kids in the flavours of fresh vegetables and fruits is key to their adapting a personal preference for them.

ET TU's website offers more suggestions on making "Family Mealtime" a regular celebration for families, as well as supportive ideas and recipes to foster childrens' appetites for fresh produce. Visit www.ettu.com/familymealtime/ for information, recipes and ongoing Family Mealtime campaign details.

• $105.7 million new funding will sustain 7,376 licensed childcare spaces, including 300 new licensed and culturally-appropriate child care spaces for Aboriginal children in targeted off-reserve communities, as well as assist Ontario municipalities with the pressures they face in supporting quality child care in Ontario

• An additional $24.8 million will provide a wage increase of approximately three per cent for approximately 33,500 childcare practitioners across Ontario

• $12 million to provide improved access to training and create the first regulatory College for Early Childhood Educators in Canada.

The government will also be supporting child care professionals working in licensed child care settings who want to upgrade their qualifications in order to obtain an early childhood education diploma, by providing grants to assist with the costs of training, as well as grants to cover the associated travel and living costs.

Other government investments supporting the early learning and healthy development of Ontario’s young children and their families include:

• In January 2007, the province streamlined the eligibility process for child care fee subsidies based on family net income so more families are now eligible

• More support for the health and well-being of 1.3 million children through the new Ontario Child Benefit, which will provide low-income families with a one-time down payment of up to $250 per child this July, growing to a maximum of $1,100 annually per child by 2011

• Increasing the number of childcare inspectors by 12 to 77 and providing parents and families with improved access to information on licensed child care centres to assist them in making well informed child care decisions.

The youth, who are employed as peer leaders with Youth Acting for Change on Tobacco (Y-ACT) and TOXIK, two Youth Action Alliance groups from Region of Waterloo Public Health, want to raise awareness about the effects of power wall displays on youth. The groups are funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion’s Smoke-Free Ontario Campaign. They say their aim is not to target smokers, but to prevent other youth and children from starting to smoke.

“Seventy-seven per cent of youth visit a convenience store at least once a week and 73 per cent of teens say they’ve been influenced by promotional pieces in convenience stores,” said Danielle Deville, a 17-year-old youth from Kitchener. “We believe these tobacco displays play a large role in youth’s decisions to buy cigarettes,” said Deville. Usually situated right above displays of candy, Deville said tobacco displays portray tobacco as a normal, everyday product. She said youth’s awareness of cigarette brands increase with the frequency of convenience store visits.

“We know that getting retailers to take down their power wall displays is an uphill battle,” said Eliot Winkler a 16-year-old member of Y-ACT. The tobacco industry pays retailers an estimated $75 million to display their products in the most prominent place in the store, he said.

The Smoke-Free Ontario Act will require tobacco retailers to remove all tobacco industry products from view by May 31, 2008. The two local youth groups plan to recognize businesses that take down at least 50 per cent of these displays before

August 31st, 2007.

In addition to targeting tobacco retailers, the youth groups plan to recognize other business for going beyond what the Smoke-Free Ontario Act requires. They will award local businesses with a Breathe Easy: Tobacco-Free Initiative Award. There are three awards:

the Retail Award for retailers that remove or cover at least 50 per cent of cigarette packages from customers;

the Helping Hand Award for employers that provide support to employees to quit smoking; and

the Healthy Environment Award for employers that make at least one policy change to support smoke-free environments for employees.

TORONTO - Northern Ontario residents will soon benefit from improved access to health care as a result of the recent collaboration of Smart Systems for Health Agency (SSHA), Hydro One Telecom (HOT) and Ontera, a division of Ontario Northland.

Representatives from the three agencies joined together with Nipissing MPP Monique Smith on Thursday to make the announcement and share details of an innovative new telecommunications network that will benefit healthcare providers and in turn, residents in the region. SSHA is introducing a dedicated high performance network that will provide the backbone for technology enabled healthcare services which will be used by health care institutions and professionals across Ontario to share patient information securely and reliably. This represents a major upgrade to SSHA's network in terms of bandwidth and security.

Michael Lauber, Chair, SSHA Board of Directors, said: "This network upgrade is already improving patient care. In pilot locations, the increased network capacity allows patients to have their x-rays and other diagnostic images viewed by radiologists in one hour rather than two days in the past. Images can now be sent electronically to specialists regionally or even provincially if needed, instead of being couriered.

"We are already working with hospitals in northern Ontario. If all goes well, they should have their network upgraded by the end of this year."

"Innovation and collaboration have become the hallmarks of our government's approach to many issues," Nipissing MPP Monique Smith said. "The creation of this dedicated high performance network is a significant milestone in the growth of Ontera and will improve healthcare throughout northern Ontario."

"This is wonderful news for the North," commented the Honourable Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Northern Development and Mines. "It is great to see our provincial agencies working together to benefit the health care system in our region and the province."

HOT is providing the dedicated core section to SSHA's new telecommunications network and has selected Ontera to implement and connect all of the healthcare sites in northeastern Ontario, known as local health integration network (LHIN) 13 and to work in partnership with TBay Tel to implement all of the sites in northwestern Ontario, LHIN 14.

"Hydro One Telecom was very pleased to be awarded the Network Refresh Project by SSHA and it provides additional validation of the quality of our core network. The scope of the plan is tremendous and is matched by the geography and complexities of providing significantly improved health services across Ontario," commented Paul Marchant, President, Hydro One Telecom.

"Ontera's proven record of success allows us to create a partnership that delivers on an ambitious goal to provide northern Ontario residents the type of health care and services we want for our families, regardless of where we live. A program like this one goes beyond providing a service; this initiative delivers an improved quality of life."

"We are excited to take part in this project, which will have significant positive outcomes for all northerners," said Ted Hargreaves, Chair of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission. "This partnership, with the Smart Systems for Health Agency and Hydro One Telecom, clearly demonstrates our commitment to contributing to the economic prosperity and development of northern Ontario."

"The scale of this project and the impact that it will have on residents of northern Ontario is extremely significant. 117 healthcare facility sites will be connected through over 1,500 kilometers of network running east-west, and 844 kilometers running north-south," said Paul Goulet, Vice President of Ontera, in speaking of the project implementation in both northeastern and northwestern Ontario. "In addition, the enhancements we implement for this project will also benefit Ontera's work across the north."

"Ontario Northland and Ontera continue to act as economic and development engines for the North," said Ron Marleau, President of Ontario Northland's General Chairpersons Association, which represents the Company's unionized workforce. "This project reinforces our role in connecting the north, as we work to provide the residents and businesses of northern Ontario with access to quality communication services."

The network enhancements will progressively provide the backbone for telemedicine, where patients in one community can access the services and knowledge of medical specialists from other communities, using teleconferencing and the secure network for the transfer of information. Medical records and imaging documents (i.e. x-rays, MRIs) can be shared over the secure network - reducing patient wait times and providing increased access to medical resources for residents of smaller and rural communities.

TORONTO – The number of spaces in Ontario’s retirement homes is growing according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s 2007 Ontario Retirement Homes Report. Assuming no closures, there will be nearly 44,000 spaces available by 2009, when facilities currently under construction are completed and open for at least one year. This is up from just over 40,000 this year. Windsor-Essex, York Region and the London area are leading the growth, each anticipating a 40 per cent increase in accommodation spaces.

”New construction, renovations, conversions and closures resulted in an increase of 1,001 spaces in 2007,” stated Edisa Kozo, CMHC Market Analyst. “More than six of every ten new spaces were suites, triple the share in 2005 confirming retirees’ preference for larger accommodation.”

More suites led to an increase in their vacancy rate, from 7.4 per cent in 2006 to 10.9 per cent in 2007. Despite the increase, vacancies in suites, especially among the more spacious two-bedroom types, were lowest among all accommodation types for a seventh straight year. Fewer semi-private and ward spaces translated into lower vacancy rates for these unit types. For private units, the vacancy rate eased from 12.9 to 12.3 per cent as demand increased faster than the 1.6 per cent increase in supply.

Additional highlights from the survey include:
The overall retirement home vacancy rate continued its decline since the 2003 peak. It moved down to 12.7 per cent from 12.9 per cent last year.
Average rents kept pace with the inflation rate. Semi-private rents increased 0.9 per cent to $1,600, while the average rent for private units rose by 1.8 per cent to $2,395. Average rents for suite style units moved up to $3,445, representing a 1.5 per cent increase from a year ago. The rent increases reflected both rent raises for existing units, and the generally higher rent levels for new units added to this year’s retirement home stock.
There were 656 retirement homes in Ontario’s 2007 Survey universe, providing accommodation to almost 37,000 residents.

Company Establishes Laboratory Facilities in Vancouver Canada

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - TapImmune Inc., a biotechnology company specializing in the development of immunotherapeutics for cancer and vaccines for infectious diseases, opens new laboratory facilities and provides this update to shareholders.

The opening of the new laboratory facility in Vancouver facilitates the transfer of its technology from The University of British Columbia and signifies the start of the pre-clinical process to commercialize its core TAP technologies.

The past year has seen some excellent progress in the validation of the company's technology, supported by no less than nine peer-reviewed scientific journal publications. One of those studies, published in Cancer Research, showed that a wide variety of human carcinomas have low expression of tumor-associated antigen presentation (TAP) and concluded that the company's method of reintroducing TAP should be considered as a part of the immunotherapy for various cancers. This study, titled "Restoration of the Expression of Transporters Associated with Antigen Processing in Lung Carcinoma Increases Tumor-Specific Immune Responses and Survival," showed that the company's technology is likely to provide a general method for increasing immune responses against tumors regardless of the antigenic composition of the tumor.

In a separate study titled "Anti-Tumor Immunity and T Cell Memory are Induced by Low Dose Inoculation with Nonreplicating Recombinant Adenovirus Encoding TAP1," published in Science Direct: Vaccine: 25 (2331-2339) 2007, the manuscript makes several exciting and novel observations. The results suggest that the inclusion of TAP in vaccines for cancer may promote and maintain long-term anti-tumor responses even when the vector used to deliver TAP only infects a small fraction of the metastatic tumor cells. This novel approach uses a small amount of vaccine relative to the tumor size, and thus achieves an efficacious outcome that has so far eluded other vaccine, immunotherapeutic or gene therapeutic strategies. The experiments are well controlled and clearly described, and the conclusions are supported by the experimental data presented.

A similar study using the Vaccinia virus and TAP showed equally promising results in melanoma.

"All of the data generated from our collaborative research with the UBC and subsequently published by the worlds leading journals has given us confidence that we are on the right track to bring a novel and effective treatment for many types of cancer to the market," said Denis Corin, CEO of TapImmune Inc. "With this kind of data behind us we are excited to now be at a stage where we can move this proof of concept into the clinical arena. We expect to announce the initiation of that process very shortly."

Abstracts of all the studies are available on the company website and are linked to their respective journals.

TapImmune Inc. is a biotechnology company specializing in the development of innovative therapeutics and vaccines in the areas of oncology and infectious disease. The companies' lead product, the AdhTAP vaccine enhancer restores and augments antigen presentation and subsequent recognition and killing of cancer cells by the immune system. The company is currently developing AdhTAP for the commencement of toxicology studies leading to the initiation of a Phase I clinical trial. The company is also developing a TAP-based vaccine adjuvant already proven to increase the efficacy of targeted prophylactic vaccines by up to 1,000 times.

Toronto, ON - A significant increase to $7.00 a day in raw food cost funding for long term care homes, means a healthier, more nutritionally balanced menu for residents.

"Yesterday's announcement to increase the raw food cost funding in long term care homes to $7 daily for food per resident will mean better health and fewer hospital admissions", says Linda Dietrich, Regional Executive Director for Dietitians of Canada (DC). DC recommended the increase to $7.00 in November 2006 in a comprehensive report submitted by DC?s Ontario Long Term Care Action Group to Minister George Smitherman. DC?s report gained broad public support when it was used as the basis of a petition by Cawthra Gardens Family Council co-chairs Angela Shaw and Julie Curitti. Using their network of Family Councils in LTC homes across the province, the two were able to gather over 19,000 signatures supporting the DC report and the $7.00 daily funding; the petition was presented to the legislature in May by MPP Peter Fonseca.

"Residents in LTC will benefit from the increase by allowing dietitians to plan menus that meet their complex nutritional requirements", continues Dietrich, "as well as addressing food preferences and quality of life issues." Proper nutrition helps to maintain health, preventing costly hospital admissions, and food in LTC homes is a major determinant of residents' satisfaction with their care.

Dietitians of Canada represents more than 5,600 dietitians across Canada and is committed to promoting the health and well-being of consumers through food and nutrition. For trusted information on nutrition and healthy eating and to register to receive DC?s regular nutrition updates, visit Dietitians of Canada award-winning website at www.dietitians.ca

"Canada's New Government is committed to creating an environment that fosters investment in research and development," said Minister Clement. "Our contribution to this initiative will help position Northwestern Ontario at the international forefront of research and discovery, enabling the region to compete effectively, and attract new growth and investment."

"This is a momentous day for Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario," said Mr. Comuzzi. "I'm excited and proud to welcome Minister Clement here today and to support this important investment that will shape the future of our region."

"This investment completes a partnership of world-class organizations pursuing molecular medicine and imaging strategies which will translate directly to patient care," said Ron Saddington, President and CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. "The Molecular Medicine Research Centre confirms Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre's goal to be a leader in world-class research and innovation."

The $44.1 million project will be managed as a joint venture partnership between TBRHSC and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, with active involvement of private partners, led by Philips Medical Systems (a division of Philips Electronics Ltd.).

As the Government of Canada's lead economic development organization in Northern and rural Ontario, FedNor has been working with the key players in this initiative for several months, and will continue its developmental role through the administration of the funding over the next five years. Specifically, the investment will support the salaries of a scientific director, career scientists and technical support staff; help purchase core research, IT and laboratory equipment; and support contracted professional services to assist with the establishment of the Molecular Medicine Research Centre.

"Canada will achieve global competitiveness through innovative, multi-sector partnerships like the MMRC, where support of excellence in discovery research can align with, and capitalize on, industry investment," said Dr. Michael Julius, Vice-President of Research, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

The economic impact of the Molecular Medicine Research Centre on Thunder Bay and area is estimated to be between $92 million and $110 million over five years, and is projected to lead to 205 full-time knowledge-based jobs, and an additional 400 - 600 spin-off jobs across the region.

"We are excited to partner with Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Lakehead University and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in the Molecular Medicine Research Centre and look forward to the innovative research that will directly impact future patient care," added John Cieslowski, Division Head, Philips Medical Systems Canada.

"This research facility holds great collaborative potential for Lakehead University in the areas of graduate study and joint research initiatives," stated Dr. Fred Gilbert, President and Vice-Chancellor, Lakehead University.

By supporting the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre through its programs and services, FedNor is opening doors and building futures for a prosperous Northern Ontario. To find out more about FedNor, visit us at: http://fednor.ic.gc.ca