Good morning to all.
I wish to thank the committee for inviting me to participate at this meeting. My name is Joe Dantouze. I'm the chief of the Dene people of the Northlands First Nation in Lac Brochet, Manitoba. This is an isolated, fly-in community south of the Nunavut border and 1,009 kilometres north of Winnipeg.
Our community is very familiar with tuberculosis. It has been making our people sick for over 100 years. Our people remember being taken from the community to sanatoria. For many people, we do not know where they are buried. We have rates of TB that are higher than most of the developing countries. From 1994 to 2004, our yearly rate of TB was 636 cases per 1,000 people. TB was an epidemic in our land before this time and it's still with us today.
For my people, tuberculosis is a social issue, a health issue, and a justice issue. All three issues must be addressed at the same time. This is the only way TB can be controlled.
There are social conditions that allow TB to spread in the first nations communities, and there must be immediate action to address these conditions, especially poor housing and a lack of food security. Our community lacks some of the basic things that we need to keep us healthy. In my community, 763 people live in 130 houses. The average homes in my community have 5.2 people in them. The average Canadian house has 2.5. Ventilation systems are absent or non-functional. In more than 80% of our homes, two-thirds of the people report mould in their houses. There are concerns that the mould affects our breathing and immune systems. Windows are damaged, air cannot circulate, and these conditions lead to the spread of TB and more illnesses. Low income and high food prices also mean that it is difficult or even impossible to maintain adequate nutrition, which is so important to prevent not just TB but also diabetes and other diseases.
Addressing TB as a health issue requires serious and proactive programs in partnership with first nations people and communities. People with TB need to be found early and not turned away for months because they are misdiagnosed. People who have been in contact with TB must be found early and treated with prevention therapy. They must not be missed due to poor follow-ups. The workers need to be from our communities, with the knowledge of our culture and the respect of our people. In my community, our nurse is one of our people and she is effective. TB workers need to be true partners in the program and part of the planning, implementation, and evaluation. First nations TB program goals, statistics, and evaluation must be up to national and international standards and they must be openly available. It is a matter of accountability and responsibility. We have met with health officials and Indian and Northern Affairs officials, and both point fingers at each other when we ask for both the social and medical aspects of TB to be addressed together in a coordinated, serious manner.
TB is a justice issue. Health care is a treaty right. Social conditions cause illnesses and steps must be taken. For health care, housing, and human rights, article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:
Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care....
In the Speech from the Throne of March 2010, Prime Minister Harper committed to sign the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which confirms the rights of the indigenous people to housing, health, and social security in articles 21, 23, and 24.
We ask for a true partnership fighting this disease. We ask for community-based programs that are accountable.