The Chief Public Health Officer’s Report on the State of Public Health in Canada, 2011

Executive Summary

This is the Chief Public Health Officer’s fourth annual report on the state of public health in Canada. It examines the state of health and well-being of Canadian youth (aged 12 to 19 years) and young adults (aged 20 to 29 years). The report considers many health issues affecting this population such as physical and mental health, injury, sexual and reproductive health and substance use and abuse. By discussing these issues and how they are addressed, the report identifies priority areas for action to maintain healthy transitions of young Canadians into adulthood.

Government Launches Review of the Registered Disability Savings Plan

The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today announced the launch of the Government of Canada’s review of the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP).

Minister Flaherty made the announcement this morning at the Association pour l’intégration sociale d’Ottawa.

The Government is inviting stakeholders to comment on RDSPs to ensure that the plans are meeting the needs of Canadians with severe disabilities and their families. “It is important for those who benefit from these plans to give their input, so that RDSPs continue to accurately reflect and address their true needs,” said Minister Flaherty.

The RDSP is widely regarded as a major policy innovation and positive development in helping to ensure the long-term financial security of children with severe disabilities. The RDSP was introduced in Budget 2007 and became available in 2008. Budget 2008 announced that the program would be reviewed three years after plans became operational.

The review will seek input on a number of important topics that are crucial to the success of the RDSP. These include issues related to establishing plans, accessing plan savings, plan termination, and the administration of the RDSP program.

Individuals, families, groups representing Canadians with disabilities, financial institutions and experts in the field are encouraged to share their views on these and other relevant issues.

Comments can be sent to the Department of Finance at RDSP-REEI@fin.gc.ca or to the address below. The closing date for comments is December 16, 2011.

RDSP Review
Tax Policy Branch
Department of Finance
L’Esplanade Laurier
16th Floor, East Tower
140 O’Connor Street
Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0G5
Facsimile: 613-943-5597

PRINCE ALBERT– Accessible dental health care for children will be delivered by an NDP government, announced Leader Dwain Lingenfelter today in Prince Albert.

Lingenfelter was joined by local candidates in unveiling the prevention-focused plan, which would cover all children aged five to 12.

“Childhood dental care is critical in promoting later overall health,” said Lingenfelter.  “Without access to a consistent dental care program, our children are at risk of tooth decay and more serious health problems.  Early years are critical years in dental and all health care.”

The program will cover basic preventive dental health care including check-ups, fluorides, sealants and basic fillings.  By working in partnership with the school system, the service will be efficient and accessible to all.

Lingenfelter said an NDP government will also work with private dentists to negotiate a fee-for-service arrangement for children who require larger fillings or more complex preventative treatments such as orthodontics.

“We need a healthier Saskatchewan.  Preventative children’s dental care is a foundation to a healthier future, and it’s the right thing to do,” said Lingenfelter.

The Federal Tobacco Control Strategy (FTCS) is led by Health Canada in partnership with Public Safety Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canada Revenue Agency, Canada Border Services Agency, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

In March 2011, the Government of Canada extended the FTCS for one year, to implement several high-profile tobacco initiatives such as the Cracking Down on Tobacco Marketing Aimed at Youth Act and new, larger graphic health warning messages that will feature new diseases and, for the first time, testimonials from individuals affected by tobacco use. The warnings will cover 75% of the front and back of cigarette and little cigar packages, up from the current 50%. This extension will also allow for the completion of the ten-year FTCS summative evaluation.

Tobacco control remains an important public policy issue. Health Canada would like to hear from Canadians and is seeking input on future federal role in tobacco control. Interested Canadians will have an opportunity to offer their input starting September 12, 2011. The comment period will close on October 11, 2011.

How to Get Involved

This consultation is open for comment starting September 12, until October 11, 2011. Please select and read through the link below titled “consultation document”. Once read, please submit your comments via email or by mail. Please be sure to include the title of the consultation document on which you are commenting.

• FTCS-SFLT@hc-sc.gc.ca
• FTCS Consultations
  Office of Policy and Strategic Planning
  Controlled Substances & Tobacco Directorate (CSTD)
  Healthy Environment and Consumer Safety Branch
  Health Canada
  123 Slater Street
  Ottawa, K1A 0K9
  Address Locator : 3509D
• Fax (613) 946-6460

• Consultation Document

Interested parties are encouraged to provide comments and suggestions by October 11, 2011.

If you have any questions, contact us at FTCS-SFLT@hc-sc.gc.ca

FREDERICTON (CNB) – New Brunswickers are being invited to comment on a legislative discussion paper that seeks to establish parameters governing the election of regional health authority board members.

The Department of Health recently submitted the discussion paper, Regional Health Authorities Governance, to the legislative assembly’s standing committee on health care. The document is available at the legislative assembly or on the legislative assembly website.

The bipartisan committee, appointed following the introduction of amendments to the Regional Health Authorities Act, has the following MLAs as members:

● Madeleine Dubé (Edmundston–Saint-Basile);
● Dorothy Shephard (Saint John Lancaster);
● Ryan Riordan (Nepisiguit);
● Sherry Wilson (Petitcodiac);
● Serge Robichaud (Miramichi Bay-Neguac);
● Troy Lifford (Fredericton-Nashwaaksis);
● Bill Fraser (Miramichi–Bay du Vin); and
● Donald Arseneault (Dalhousie–Restigouche East).

The committee was asked to examine three issues pertaining to the election of board members of regional health authorities, as outlined in the discussion paper. These issues need to be addressed prior to the election of new board members, beginning with the 2012 municipal election. The committee is looking for specific direction from the public on regional health authority boundaries, electoral boundaries and election rules.

Public hearings on the discussion paper will be held in all seven New Brunswick cities from mid-August to mid-September. A full schedule, including dates and times, is on the legislative assembly website.

Individuals or organizations wishing to make a presentation to the committee should notify the Office of the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly by telephone or by sending an e-mail to leg-consultations@gnb.ca before Aug. 15.

Those preferring to submit a written brief should do so by Monday, Sept. 12, by contacting:

Office of the Clerk,
Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick,
P.O. Box 6000,
Fredericton, N.B.
E3B 5H1

506-453-2506 (office)
506-453-7154 (fax)

LINK:

● Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick: www.gnb.ca/legis

Consultation on the Proposal for Cadmium Guidelines in Children’s Jewellery

Health concerns over cadmium in children’s jewellery began after analytical testing by Health Canada revealed certain low-cost children’s jewellery contained cadmium at levels up to 93%.  It has been demonstrated, with tragic consequences, that swallowed jewellery may become lodged in the stomach, leading to the release of large amounts of lead in certain cases.  Although no reported incidents of cadmium poisoning were found following ingestion of jewellery, it is considered this may pose an analogous threat.  Young children under the age of 4 commonly place non-food items in their mouths, and therefore represent the group most at risk.

The incidental ingestion of a piece of jewellery must be considered carefully from a risk assessment perspective, especially since acute exposure limits have not been well defined for cadmium.  A review of the toxicological literature revealed that no reliable human data existed in order to define an acceptable one-time ingestion of cadmium.  Therefore, results from animal studies were used to derive an oral acute provisional minimal risk level (pMRL) of 0.0732 mg/kg bw for cadmium.

Health Canada analyzed approximately 200 children’s jewellery samples that were judged small enough to fit into a child’s mouth for cadmium content.  A subset of these samples were also subjected to migration testing, which revealed no consistency between the total amount of cadmium in a sample, and the amount that might be released in the simulated physiological environment of the stomach over an extended period (such as in the case of a piece of jewellery lodged in the stomach over several days).  Since standardized migration testing cannot accurately predict the amount of cadmium that might be leached out of a sample in such an environment, using total cadmium content to derive a guideline is considered the most health-protective approach.

Based on a conservative weight of evidence approach, it is proposed to restrict the total cadmium concentration in children’s jewellery to 130 ppm (0.013%), as this should protect small children from the risk of acute toxicity from cadmium following ingestion.

In addition, while risks associated with daily licking or sucking of a piece of cadmium-containing jewellery were not the primary focus of this report, a restriction of 130 ppm total cadmium should also be protective for chronic effects attributable to cadmium.

FREDERICTON (CNB) – The provincial government is asking for input on how to make drugs more affordable and accessible for families.

“New Brunswickers expect that prescription drugs be affordable and that prices paid here be similar to those paid elsewhere,” said Health Minister Madeleine Dubé. “We need to ensure that our drug programs are sustainable – now and for the future.”

Generic drugs are lower-cost versions of brand-name drugs. They are produced by generic companies once patents expire on brand-name drugs, and they are as safe and effective as the brand-name version.

There is no national price regulation for generic drugs. During the last few years, however, several provinces – including British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia – have announced changes in the price of generic drugs.

During the past decade, expenditures for the New Brunswick’s Prescription Drug Program have more than doubled – to almost $190 million in 2011-12. In fact, New Brunswickers pay more for generic drugs than people in many other provinces.

As part of the consultation process, New Brunswickers are encouraged to read the document Fair Drug Prices for New Brunswickers, now posted on the department’s website. They will also be able to make recommendations by submitting written comments. This consultation will continue until Aug. 15.

During the next few weeks, representatives from Department of Health will meet with stakeholders – including pharmacists, pharmacy owners, drug manufacturers, wholesalers and private insurers – to receive their input on how to get better drug prices for New Brunswickers while supporting pharmacy services.

The information received will be compiled and analyzed by the Department of Health and a recommendation prepared for government.

LINK:

● Department of Health: www.gnb.ca/health

Consultation on Draft Canada-wide Approach for the Management of Wastewater Biosolids

May 30, 2011 – July 30, 2011
Consultation materials for the draft Canada-wide Approach for the Management of Wastewater Biosolids are now available for public review and comment until July 30, 2011. CCME encourages all interested organizations and individuals to review the consultation materials and provide comment.

CFIA Consultation Policy and Framework

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is asking for comments on the Agency’s draft Consultation Policy and Framework.

To view the Consultation Policy and Framework, visit http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/agen/consult/dpolrece.shtml.

The CFIA will use the Policy and Framework to bring a consistent approach to consultation that will better serve the needs of stakeholders and the Agency.

The Consultation Policy and Framework will be posted on the CFIA website for a 30-day comment period.

Interested parties are invited to provide written comments through the on-line feedback page on the CFIA Website. Comments should be received by June 17, 2011.

For information:
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Media relations: 613-773-6600

The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba will launch consultations with its members on proposed regulatory changes to expand the prescribing authority of nurse practitioners, Health Minister Theresa Oswald announced today.

“Nurse practitioners play a vital role in providing quality care to patients and families when they need it,” said Oswald.  “We are pleased to see the College of Registered Nurses proceeding with consultations to expand the prescribing authority for nurse practitioners, which will provide more care and help improve access to health services for families across the province.”

The province has been working with the college to develop regulatory amendments to expand the prescribing authority for nurse practitioners.  The proposed changes would include:

• expanding prescribing authority from a limited number of drugs to all drugs except controlled drugs and substances; and
• allowing nurse practitioners to prescribe needed medical devices to allow people to access benefits through Manitoba Family Services and Consumer Affairs and private insurers.  Previously, a physician prescription was required.

The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba is required by legislation to consult with its members on any proposed regulatory changes or amendments.

“We will be consulting with extended-practice nurses and asking for their views on this very important proposed regulatory change to optimize their prescriptive authority,” said Diane Wilson Maté, executive director of the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba.  “We appreciate the support of the provincial government as we move forward with seeing nurse practitioners practice to their full potential, which will result in more accessible and effective patient care.”

The minister noted the proposed changes would improve access to primary care for patients as part of the government’s plan to ensure all Manitobans that want a family doctor have access to one by 2015.

“Nurse practitioners have extensive training to meet the needs of patients in primary care and across the health-care system,” said Laura Ferguson, president of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Manitoba.  “We look forward to seeing the prescribing authority for nurse practitioners expanded so they can provide more care and further meet the needs of patients.”