Canada's wilful blindness in the face of flu threat

Not that we're looking ahead to Autumn. In fact, we're kind of dreading it, as should most First Nations in Canada if they are lacking confidence in the pandemic planning of the federal government when it comes to Aboriginal communities. You see, while the H1N1 outbreak has been relatively mild leading up to the summer months, the cold weather promises to bring with it another outbreak and that could wallop our populations.
While Canadian media was concentrating on the sexy story of Grandfather Canada doing what it could to protect the addicted Indians from getting their paws on the hand sanitizer that could help slow the spread of the swine flu, they were ignoring the very conditions that contribute to it taking hold in an area. Over-crowded housing, poor economic conditions, poor nutrition, weakened immune systems, sub-standard healthcare-this is what years of Ottawa's neglect has given us, and that's what's eventually going to lead to the devastation of our peoples if the swine flu comes back for another visit.
Avoid contact with people is the advice given to our people. How do you avoid the eight or nine or 12 people who must live together in a crowded 900-square foot rotting house on reserve because there are no other options? Wash your hands regularly they tell us, when the water that runs from the taps is more dangerous to us then the germs being passed around the building?
Witness also the slow response to the recent outbreaks in Manitoba and Ontario where medical supplies were delayed. The highest number of cases in a single community was at one time during June seen in Sandy Lake, Ont. H1N1 was in North Spirit Lake, Bearskin Lake, Deer Lake, Keewaywin, and Pikangikum First Nations as well.
It took up to two weeks to confirm cases of H1N1. It took the federal and provincial governments longer to react, to send health care practitioners to the affected areas to help.
"Even though there has been a lot of work done over the past two years on pandemic planning, we're finding out now that there are pieces missing," said Alvin Fiddler, deputy chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation. "There are holes in the plan." What an understatement that is.
That's six nations! Imagine that on a nationwide scale? Where are we all going to be then? If they can't handle the outbreaks in these communities, what will they do when we're all clamouring for help?
Chief Angus Toulouse is the regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations responsible for health. He's called for an investment in a document called Annex B. What is this Annex? It is the portion of the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan that addresses outbreaks in First Nations. He says Canada has invested about $1 billion in the plan for mainstream people, but there has been no investment in the guidelines that would show how the federal, provincial and territorial governments should handle outbreaks in First Nations communities.
This is wilful blindness to their responsibilities to our peoples, and, very probably, if a pandemic strikes, Canada's neglectful past will be compounded by its current and some would argue criminal neglect and hundreds, maybe thousands could parish. It would one day make an expensive claim to settle, but would be sorry compensation for those that would watch loved ones suffer and succumb.
"Conditions in many of our communities are akin to those of the developing world. This has placed our communities at the highest level of risk in Canada. Clearly, if there is no improvement in planning and services, the worsening of this virus could have tragic consequences in the fall," Toulouse warned.
New Democrat MP Niki Ashton (Churchill, Man.) insulted the minister responsible by calling on the federal government to heed First Nations' demands for greater action and recognition of the state of emergency on reserves.
"When I raised the need for an urgent federal response for disproportionately impacted First Nations, the minister said she was insulted," said Ashton. "The fact that First Nations have been hard hit during the first round of the H1N1 is a wake-up call for the federal government."
We personally don't give a TamiFlu shot if the minister's feelings are hurt. Rather hurt feelings now, then hundreds of people suffering a few months from now.
A report released by UNICEF, entitled Aboriginal Children's Health: Leaving No Child Behind-the Canadian Supplement to State of the World's Children 2009, examined inequities in Canada's health system that perpetuate health disparities between First Nations and other Canadian children. First Nations health services have not mirrored population growth, the report found, and services provided to other Canadians are under-funded or denied First Nations people. Inequities persist, including higher infant mortality rates, lower child immunization rates, poorer nutritional status and endemic rates of obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases, the report finds. These inequities, compounded by the poor social conditions found in too many of our communities, contributes to our poorer health status even in the best of times, said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine.
"This is why First Nations are particularly vulnerable to H1N1. The World Health Organization already has pointed out that there is a link between the severity of H1N1 cases and poor living conditions, over-crowded housing, poor-quality drinking water, pre-existing chronic diseases and sub-standard healthcare. It is time for action to improve the conditions that make us the most vulnerable segment of the population."
How much more evidence is needed? None. If Canada fails to react, it's a sign that those responsible care not.