Again, congratulations on your appointment to the committee.
Overall, our government has invested over $30 million a year in aboriginal health research and more than $2.2 billion in first nations and Inuit health programs.
In June I made an announcement with my colleague, Minister Duncan, involving a federal investment of $25 million over two years. This will be used to conduct innovative health research that responds to pressing needs identified by first nations, Inuit, and Métis people across Canada. The long-term plan will focus on four areas: suicide, obesity, tuberculosis, and oral health.
The health researchers will only be able to access that funding if they work with leadership in aboriginal communities. This aims to find meaningful health solutions that will lead to healthier communities. Basically, in a nutshell, all the investments in research that we are making must involve partnerships with aboriginal communities at the community level.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research recently hosted a partners forum in this initiative. The forum brought together national first nations, Inuit, and Métis organizations along with government representatives and researchers from the private sector. The efforts show that CIHR and our government are committed to a new and better way of working with first nations, Inuit, and Métis people in looking at research for better health outcomes of the most vulnerable population.
In the coming months I look forward to reporting on the progress of this investment. We will continue to work hard with aboriginal communities to improve the health outcomes over the long term.