Feds target major First Nation health problems

The federal government says that funding targeted for Aboriginal health research will go to on-the-ground, practical projects that address some of the major health issues facing First Nations people.
The government announced $25 million over 10 years to support research into obesity, tuberculosis, suicide and oral health through the program, called Pathways to Health Equity for Aboriginal Peoples.
Greg Rickford, MP for Kenora and parliamentary secretary to the minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, said that the funding will go towards helping health practitioners deal with the four key areas of Aboriginal health.
“The importance of those four key areas cannot be overstated,” Rickford said. “The (research) grants will go to support research to prevent these kinds of things from happening. The goal is overall improved health in Aboriginal communities.”
Rickford said the grants will be awarded to support community-based research work, and that northwestern Ontario would be a “key driver” for the research.
While the announcement refocused the government’s priorities, the money earmarked for the research was not new. It will come from the existing budget of the Canadian Institute for Health Research.
The government said funding will go to researchers who get buy-in from Aboriginal communities to partner on the studies.
Rickford said the research will be geared at preventative work to help stop the health issues before they get to crisis situations.
Part of the work will involve finding ways to adapt existing health research to diverse Aboriginal communities, according to a CIHR press release.
CIHR said that researchers working with the money will be expected to work closely with Aboriginal communities to ensure that knowledge and best practices are shared and developed.
Obesity
Problems with obesity across Canada are even more pronounced in Aboriginal communities. According to a 2010 report done by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Aboriginal people are experiencing a “full-blown cardiovascular crisis” that stems from problems with obesity.
Heart disease and heart attacks are just one of many health problems that result from obesity. Diabetes has become increasingly devastating for people across northern Ontario, with the latest stats showing that nearly eight per cent of people over the age of 12 in northern Ontario are living with diabetes. The number is even higher in small First Nations communities.
Obesity is also on the rise among First Nations children. A 2012 National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) report found that 29 per cent of Métis and 37 per cent of First Nations children between the ages of six and eight are reported as obese compared with eight per cent of Canada’s non-Aboriginal children. NAHO noted that obese children are likely to become obese adults with increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases.
Suicide
Issues with suicide across First Nations communities in northern Ontario have been well documented. Canadian statistics show that First Nations people take their own lives at more than double the rate of the non-Aboriginal population. In northern Ontario, according to Nishnawbe-Aski Police Services figures, 425 people committed suicide in Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) communities between 1986 and 2011, a rate of 17 suicides per year. The figures also show that over 70 per cent of people who commit suicide in NAN are under the age of 25.
Tuberculosis
Health Canada has recently created a national tuberculosis (TB) strategy to deal with rates of the disease that are significantly higher in Aboriginal communities than in non-Aboriginal populations.
Part of the issue with TB stem from other health and social conditions on reserve. The disease is airborne, so crowded housing conditions play a role in its spread. TB also thrives when people already have lowered immune systems, so a person with diabetes or other health problems is more likely to contract TB if exposed to it.
Oral Health
A 2010 report, called Teeth for Life: The First Nations Oral Health Strategy, found that across Canada, over 25 per cent of First Nations children under the age of five had eight or more decayed teeth.
The problem is estimated to cost over $16 million in extra health care costs annually, according to the report, as poor oral health contributes to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and lung disease.
The issues around poor oral health relate to a lack of access to healthy food and a lack of access to dentists and oral hygienists in remote communities.