Health Watch - December 2013

More HIV infection being treated

The number of First Nations people with HIV infections is rising. However, Health Canada spokesman Ibrahim Khan says that isn’t a reflection of an increase in the virus but instead a reflection of more people being diagnosed and treated. “We have seen a dramatic rise of [HIV] positive people that perhaps were not even aware of their status,” Kahn told the CBC News. “So I think when you offer the testing, that means you offer them the care.” Aboriginal people continue to respond to HIV and AIDS with community-based initiatives, but are still experiencing epidemic proportions 3.5 times higher than other Canadians. An estimated 6,380 Aboriginal persons were living with HIV/AIDS; 8.9 per cent of all prevalent HIV infections and comprised about 12.2 per cent of all new HIV infections in Canada in 2011.

Sto:lo Tribal Council pulls out of Wellness Council

Following a recent report by British Columbia’s Representative for Children and Youth that found shortcomings in how the Wellness Council was operating, the Sto:lo Tribal Council has withdrawn its support for the Wellness Council. Provincial youth advocate Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond concluded that BC had spent $66-million over the past 12 years on discussions and projects for Aboriginal children without any results. “The government gave [delegated agencies] the money without any expectation that a child would receive the service,” Turpel-Lafond said. Grand Chief Doug Kelly, president of the Sto:lo Tribal Council, said Aboriginal child care in B.C. could benefit from the approach used in setting up a First Nations Health Authority, which involved First Nations working with agencies that were already providing health services, instead of setting up bodies that might overlap or even be in conflict.

Developing inner-city health specific curriculum

The University of Alberta has received funding through the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Research Institute to examine the practices of teaching inner city health to medical trainees. Inner city health refers to services and treatment options available to marginalized groups within urban areas. Patients often struggle with housing or homelessness, substance use, poverty, participation in the survival sex trade, certain infectious diseases and other health problems associated with high-risk lifestyles. Medical students are often introduced to inner city health indicators as individual characteristics, potentially causing them to identify patients solely by their predominant afflictions. Using these terms, the team will gather all available teaching and curricular resources and analyze the information to develop an Edmonton-specific undergraduate curriculum for inner city health. Kathryn Dong, associate clinical professor in emergency medicine at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, will direct the project.

Participants wanted for MNO study of Métis cancer stories

The Métis Nation Ontario is seeking submissions from Métis citizens province-wide who are willing to share their personal cancer story and experience with the health care system. Specifically, the MNO will be bringing together10 Métis citizens to participate in a two-day focus group meeting on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5 in Ottawa. The project is intended to help the MNO better understand the Métis Cancer Treatment Journey on issues such as access, quality of services, and care outcomes. The focus group will also help the MNO and its partners, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and Cancer Care Ontario, learn about key quality and continuity of care issues facing Métis people in Ontario, and across the full spectrum of health care.

Aboriginal Midwifery Toolkit launched

The National Aboriginal Council of Midwives has launched the Aboriginal Midwifery Toolkit. Developed to provide concrete knowledge and tools for First Nations, Inuit and MÈtis communities looking to bring birth and midwifery care closer to home, the toolkit is an interactive online resource with a print version designed for communities with limited internet access. “We’re in an exciting time where we have a number of Aboriginal midwives working in innovative practices to provide safe and professional care to Aboriginal communities across Canada,” said Nathalie Pambrun, co-chair of NACM. The tool kit was launched during the Canadian Association of Midwives annual conference in which the CAM pushed the federal government for funding to get midwives working in remote northern communities where health care falls under federal jurisdiction. Aboriginal women and their infants have a two to four times higher morbidity and mortality rate than the average Canadian.

New training to increase physician sensitivity

Physicians in rural areas of BC’s north are getting special training through the “Indigenous Cultural Competency program” in order to deliver better care to Aboriginal patients. Aboriginal health director Leslie Varley with the Provincial Health Services Authority hopes the cultural awareness program will alleviate the stigma of racism that many First Nations encounter when they seek medical attention. Physicians’ attitudes prompted the program to change the way First Nations and Aboriginal patients receive care. “There’s a high level of distrust among Aboriginal people and health-care providers,” Varley said. “Also, a very high level of racism and stereotyping from the health-care system.” The provincial government, along with the BC Medical Association committee is granting $100,000 in funds to allow physician access to training.

Cultural programming for violence against women survivors

The Athabasca Health Authority’s Violence Against Women Survivor Cultural Healing project has received $18,320 in federal funding through the Aboriginal Women’s Programming Element of the Aboriginal People’s Program. The AHA will provide Dene women from three remote northern Saskatchewan communities affected by family violence with the opportunity to participate in a series of culturally relevant workshops led by a female Elder. Participants will share their experiences, connect with their cultural identities and learn traditional skills. Activities include participating in sharing circles, traditional gatherings and feasts and learning cooking, beading and hunting techniques. “Our goal is to help women who have suffered from inter-personal violence to begin their healing journey, through Dene cultural activities and with the safe guidance of an Elder, mental health therapist, and family home visiting worker,” said Jennifer Conley, CEO of the Athabasca Health Authority, in a news release.

First Aboriginal health centre to receive Baby-Friendly accreditation

The Kanesatake Health Centre is the first Aboriginal health center in North America to receive accreditation under the UNICEF/WHO’s Baby-Friendly Initiative. The BFI was established in 1991 by W.H.O/UNICEF to encourage maternity hospitals to implement the 10 steps to successful breastfeeding in accordance with the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. Since then, many studies have shown that breastfeeding and a strong mother-baby bond is the foundation for a baby’s future health and wellbeing. In Aboriginal communities, it also helps revitalize traditional intergenerational teachings of women and heal the wrongs left by residential schools on parenting skills. “We are determined to not only empower our own community, but to empower other First Nations communities by providing culturally-sensitive support, training and resources. We believe that by encouraging other First Nations to become “Baby Friendly” it will strengthen our nation’s overall health and wellbeing and lay the foundation for the next seven generations, Joyce Bonspiel-Nelson, executive director of the Kanesatake Health Centre, said in a news release.