The Rick Hansen Institute has, in a short period of time, accelerated the progress of new treatments and standards of care through developing a national network. This network of over 450 researchers, clinicians, and other stakeholders share common goals and are supported by infrastructure, resources, and knowledge dissemination. It is already making a difference and resulting in better outcomes for individuals with spinal cord injury.
In the last 25 years we have made tremendous progress to fulfill Rick's vision; survival after the initial years of a traumatic injury has significantly improved. Overall acute hospital stays for those with spinal cord injury have been reduced by more than half. However, 25 years into the journey, our work is far from complete. More than 86,000 Canadians live with a spinal cord injury, and on average today 12 new cases will occur at an estimated cost to the Canadian economy of $3.6 billion annually. Unless we continue to advance progress, these costs will only escalate as injuries with the aging population increase.
In Canada, we are on the leading edge to advance improvements. Through our network we are able, for the first time, to track injuries and the outcomes of interventions across provincial jurisdictions at our 34 sites across the country, which collect information on 85% of new traumatic spinal cord injuries. That information is invaluable in improving clinical practices and advancing clinical research studies. It enables the optimization of the use of resources at health care facilities by helping ensure that the right patient receives the right care at the right time and at the right location.
One example of our ability to coordinate collaboration on research studies is demonstrated by the institute's spearheading the development of the first ever multi-centre clinical studies in Canada for acute spinal cord injury. One of those studies is on a drug called Minocycline, where the institute is now establishing a six-site clinical study to show that the results of a smaller, earlier study can be replicated. If proven, this would be the world's first neuroprotective drug treatment for spinal cord injury that could be applied immediately at the accident site to reduce the severity of injury. That reduction in the level of disability will also reduce the length of stay in hospitals, readmissions to hospitals, and the economic burden on home care services.
We're in the process of expanding our network internationally, including at this time to Australia, China, Israel, and the United States. Additional international expansion is planned when we showcase our work to 2,500 delegates from around the world at our Interdependence 2012 Conference in Vancouver in May. International engagement is critical. It will enable us to scour the world to help us determine the best of the best, the most promising research to advance through clinical evaluation here in Canada.
It will allow development of best practices to be first adopted here in Canada and then spread throughout the world. As well as benefits to people with spinal cord injury, many of the advances are applicable to non-spinal cord injury populations as well. For example, our focus on pressure ulcers and urinary tract infections will have a much broader impact. A new study stated that by reducing the incidences of pressure ulcers and urinary tract infections alone by 30%, it is estimated the reduction costs in Canada in the spinal cord injury population would be $125 million per year. However, applying the same interventions to the general population in Canada, the impact would be $2 billion a year.
While we realize the investment requested is significant and in the current fiscal environment everyone, including government, needs to select key priorities to support, our research will result in a real return on investment for government: improvements to the quality of life for people with spinal cord injury and their families; new interventions that can be applied to non-spinal cord injury areas; large reductions in health care costs; job creation in highly skilled areas; and further enhancing Canada's international leadership.
On behalf of the foundation and the Rick Hansen Institute, I thank you for your time and your support.