Thank you, Madam Chair.
I'd like to thank the House of Commons standing committee for this opportunity to speak to you as you prepare for your study on chronic disease prevention and health promotion.
Chronic diseases are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide and, according to recent World Health Organization statistics, kill 36 million people globally each year. In Canada, it is estimated that 89% of all deaths can be attributed to chronic diseases.
Health promotion and primary prevention are key approaches to changing these numbers. Regular physical activity, healthy eating, eliminating smoking, and reducing excessive alcohol use could prevent up to 80% of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and 40% of cancers.
The magnitude of the current and anticipated burden of chronic disease is Canada's largest public health challenge. It will require new approaches. Evidence shows that interventions need to consider the broader social, cultural, and environmental factors that determine the health of Canadians. For example, the places where we live, work, play, and learn have profound impacts on our health.
Every child deserves the best start, irrespective of his or her socio-economic circumstances. Social and structural determinants, such as income and income distribution, education, job security, employment and working conditions, early childhood development, food insecurity, housing, social exclusion, social safety, access to health services, aboriginal status, gender, race, and disability are all critical drivers of health inequalities in Canada and must inform effective interventions.
Because these factors may be present from early childhood and accumulate over time, a life-course perspective is required. Research provides the evidence for the development of effective public health measures that will prevent chronic diseases. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is committed to the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system.
Notably, one of CIHR's research priorities is to promote health and reduce the burden of chronic disease and mental illness. CIHR has further recognized that health and illness are distributed in inequitable ways across populations. Therefore, CIHR also has a research priority aimed at reducing the health inequities faced by aboriginal people and other vulnerable populations.
These research priorities are being realized, in part, through large new projects that we call signature initiatives. In particular, the signature initiative in community-based primary health care covers a broad range of primary prevention, as well as public health and primary care services within the community, including health promotion and disease prevention; the diagnosis, treatment, and management of chronic and episodic illness; home care; rehabilitation support; end-of-life care, and more. The initial focus of this initiative has been to support research into better systems for chronic disease prevention and management and access to appropriate care for vulnerable populations.
A second signature initiative relates to pathways to health equity for aboriginal people. This initiative aims to increase the capacity of aboriginal communities to act as partners in the conception, oversight, and application of high quality research to reduce the health disparities of aboriginal peoples. Rather than just describing the extent of the problem, the focus at the CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health has been on generating evidence on what policy and program interventions work, for whom and under what conditions and at what cost. This is the only way to curb the burden of chronic disease and to learn about the impacts of existing measures.
The urgent need for intervention research has been recognized by the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health and by the Senate Subcommittee on Population Health in its 2009 report, “A Healthy, Productive Canada: A Determinant of Health Approach”.
CIHR has made investments in policy-relevant research related to chronic disease risk factors. For example, Dr. Geoffrey Fong and his team at the University of Waterloo recently received one of the largest operating grants ever awarded by CIHR for the team's ground-breaking work on tobacco control policies around the world.
CIHR's efforts have not been limited to Canada. As noted in the recent United Nations political declaration on non-communicable diseases, chronic diseases are a global health and development challenge.
CIHR is a founding partner in the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases, and through this international collaboration, we are funding research to support the effective scaling up of interventions related to chronic disease risk factors, such as hypertension. In sum, CIHR is committed to both the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products, and a stronger health care system.
Research can contribute to the generation of evidence-informed, cost-effective, and sustainable solutions that make a difference to Canadians and prevent chronic disease. This is a key area of focus for CIHR within Canada and globally.
Thank you.