Public Health Report Quietly Released in Canada

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Public Health Report Quietly Released in Canada

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Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. David Butler-Jones, released his first annual Report on the State of Public Health in Canada a few weeks ago.

There’s been little to no commentary about the report since then, be it from the government or the public. It’s almost like it doesn’t exist — a sad irony considering its purpose is “to inform Canadians and stimulate discussion of the many factors that contribute to good health and what can be done individually and collectively to advance public health in Canada.”

The report offers some particularly important considerations. For instance, it points to “cultural preservation and continuity, as well as living in communities with self-government, settled land claims, and access to self-managed education, health, cultural and policing services” as having positive benefits to indigenous peoples health. How many government officials do you know that would dare say something like that? Perhaps that’s why it’s not getting any attention.

The report also provides a number of statistics concerning the health of Canadians and Indigenous People. Unfortunately, this is where it falls apart — through failing to provide a full and accurate picture of indigenous peoples health.

For example, it glosses over the housing and water crises, as well as the substance abuse epidemic. Further, it ignores the serious physical and sexual abuse problems on reserve(s), and the ongoing and long-term (cumulative) effect of environmental contaminants like mercury , PCB’s, dioxins, and oil…

If there is to be a genuine discussion about “our” health, there at least has to be a full disclosure of facts.

A Better look at the state of Indigenous Peoples health in Canada

Using the report as a backdrop, here’s a more complete look at the state of Indigenous Peoples health in Canada 

1. “Inadequate housing and homelessness continue to plague Aboriginal Peoples…” [a rather large understatement. According to the National Aboriginal Health Organization's , Preliminary Findings of the First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey 2002-2003, Housing density is twice that of Canadians. Nearly 1 in 4 adults on reserve live in crowded homes; 423,000 people live in 89,000 overcrowded, substandard and rapidly deteriorating housing units; 5,486 of the 88,485 houses on-reserve are without sewage service; and Mold contaminates almost half of First Nations households. Asbestos is another major problem]

2. Among First Nations adults living on reserve or in First Nations communities, the [Type II] diabetes prevalence is approximately 20% ? four times the rate of the general population. [The report goes on to say that Type II diabetes "is strongly related to... obesity." Scientific evidence is mounting which suggests the actual cause of diabetes is, in fact, exposure to dioxin, PCB's and other Persistant Organic Pollutants (POP's). Obesity, while remaining a health problem, may only be a vehicle for the pollutants. With that in mind, consider Health Canada's estimate that by 2021, more than 25% of the indigenous population will have Type II diabetes. For more on this, see the 2007 article Exposure to persistent organochlorine pollutants and type 2 diabetes mellitus, the 2006 Report Persistent organic pollutants and the burden of diabetes (click 'show quoted text'), John H.W. Hummel's 2000 Report for the Health Project of the Kahnawake Environment Office, and the article Downstream disease on This Magazine. For more general information on diabetes, visit the Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention Project website]

3. Concerning water, “There are still challenges to be addressed, particularly in small and remote communities and on First Nations reserves.” ["Challenges?" As of July 25th, 2008, there are 102 indigenous communities across Canada under a Drinking Water Advisory.]

To see the remaining points, please see the original article on Intercontinental Cry.org)