Leona Aglukkaq

[Questions on the Order Paper, November 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, through the economic action plan 2012, Health Canada has maintained the delivery of federal health programs, services and benefits for first nations and Inuit to help maintain and improve their health. Opportunities to create efficiencies have been identified in non-service delivery areas and through simplification of internal operational processes and structures, such as reducing and restructuring the size of the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, FNIHB, headquarters office to better support regional offices and their focus on frontline service delivery to communities.

Going forward, funding for Health Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Health Branch will focus on direct service delivery, such as primary health care, nursing, community-based programming, and the non-insured health benefits, NIHB, program. Funding in areas such as research, building capacity, developing partnerships and networking will continue, but on a limited basis. We continue to make investments in aboriginal health, nursing and research. For example, last year our government invested over $30 million in aboriginal health research through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. In fact, between 2006 and 2010-11, the latest year for which figures are available, we have invested over $151 million. In June we announced an investment of $25 million in a new long-term aboriginal health research initiative, pathways to health equity for aboriginal peoples.

Of the $2.2 billion in planned spending for 2012-13, approximately 47 per cent will fund non-insured health benefits, including drug and vision benefits and medical transportation, et cetera, for clients both on and off reserve. An additional 41 per cent will fund primary health care programs and activities in communities, including home and community care, communicable disease control, and community health promotion and disease prevention. The remaining 12 per cent will focus on health infrastructure support, comprising planning and quality management; health human resources activities, including the aboriginal health human resources initiative; health facilities costs; health systems integration activities, including the health services integration fund and tripartite activities; eHealth infostructure; nursing innovation; and branch overhead activities.

The non-insured health benefits program is available to all eligible first nations and Inuit regardless of their place of residence. Like all other eligible NIHB recipients, urban aboriginal women who qualify for the NIHB program will see no reduction in their benefits as a result of budget 2012. These benefits include drugs, dental care, vision care, medical supplies and equipment, short-term crisis intervention, mental health counselling and medical transportation. There are a number of other programs our government provides significant investment towards that benefit urban aboriginal women. For example, last year alone we provided $53.8 million towards gender related research through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Since 2006 we have invested more than $241 million in this.

FNIHB’s mandate will continue to focus on providing the highest quality health services in first nation and Inuit communities.

[Health, November 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague has pointed out, the issue of prescription drug abuse is bigger than one specific pill. That is why today our government announced tough new licensing rules that will help to prevent drugs like OxyContin from being illegally distributed.

However, prescribing drugs is a provincial-territorial jurisdiction, so provincial and territorial health ministers and doctors play a major role. That is why I am also calling on the provinces and the territories and the medical professionals to look at what they can do to fight this problem. Unlike the opposition, we will not politically interfere in science.

[Health, November 8th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the difficulties and heartbreak faced by the thousands of MS patients and their families across Canada. We were clear all along that we are committed to funding a clinical trial for CCSVI once all the necessary medical and ethical standards were met. That is why last month at the health ministers meetings in Halifax I announced that, after a rigorous review process, clinical trials for CCSVI have been accepted and recruitment for patients to participate will begin this month.

[Health, November 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, unlike previous governments that balanced their books on the backs of provinces and territories, we have committed to long term, stable funding that will see health transfers reach historic levels by the end of the decade.

Since we have formed government, health transfers from Ottawa to the provinces and territories have grown by nearly 35%. Our investments will help preserve Canada's health care system so it is there when Canadians need it.

[Health, November 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, unlike a previous government that balanced its books on the backs of provinces and territories, we have committed to long term, stable funding that will see—

[Health, November 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to supporting research that will help Canadians with autism and their families. That is why today we announced funding for a new chair for autism research, Dr. Jonathan Weiss from York University. This will not only improve our understanding of autism by looking for new approaches to treatment, it will also support the next generation of Canadian researchers. We will continue to make strategic investments in health care.

[Questions on the Order Paper, November 1st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to the CIHR scientific expert working group, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research established a scientific expert working group, SEWG, to monitor and analyze results from seven U.S. and Canadian MS societies funded studies, as well as from other related studies from around the world related to venous anatomy and MS.

On June 28, 2011, the SEWG reviewed data relating to CCSVI presented at international meetings and then were presented the draft results of a systematic review of peer-reviewed publications regarding CCSVI and MS. An update was provided by study investigators regarding progress of the seven North American studies funded by the MS Society of Canada and U.S. National MS Society. At that time, all seven funded studies had made good progress, many were well on their way to having their target number of subjects recruited, and a total of 1,267 individual with MS and controls were expected to be recruited over the course of the studies.

The SEWG is not mandated to make recommendations on the follow-up care of patients who underwent the CCSVI procedure abroad. The working group did not publish any statements on this issue.

Information on the SEWG, including its terms of reference and the highlights of its meetings, is available at: http://www.cihr.ca/e/44360.html. All members of the SEWG agreed to the CIHR confidentiality and conflict of interest policy.

Primary responsibility for matters related to the administration and delivery of health care services falls within the purview of provincial and territorial governments. Several provincial authorities such as the colleges of physicians and surgeons of Alberta, Nova Scotia and Québec, as well as the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care have released guidelines and policies to help physicians in their respective jurisdictions make the best medical decisions for MS patients who were treated for CCSVI outside Canada. Information cited above is available from the provincial authorities.

With regard to the consensus workshop, in February 2011, CIHR provided a one-time grant to the MS Society of Canada to provide operational support for the SEWG. This support included the organization of a consensus workshop in September 2011 on ultrasound imaging techniques.

This grant represents a total investment of $317,500, $158,750 per year, and was funded for a two-year period from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2012. On February 29, 2012, CIHR informed the MS Society of Canada that the grant was automatically extended until March 31, 2013.

The agreement for this grant was signed on March 2, 2011 by Dr. Alain Beaudet, president of CIHR and Yves Savoie, president and chief executive officer of the MS Society of Canada.

The consensus workshop was held on September 6, 2012 in Toronto. CIHR employees were not involved in the organization or running of this consensus workshop. The workshop helped with the development of a protocol to be incorporated into the trial design. This protocol was part of the request for applications developed by CIHR. For additional information visit: http://www.researchnet-recherchenet.ca/rnr16/viewOpportunityDetails.do?progCd=10266&language=E&fodAgency=CIHR&view=browseArchive&browseArc=true&org=CIHR#moreinformation.

With regard to research proposals, since researchers must be affiliated with an eligible Canadian institution or organization to apply for CIHR funding, applications were only received from Canadian researchers. To respect privacy and confidentiality, CIHR cannot share the number of applications received and only information regarding the successful applicants is published on CIHR’s website.

In April 2012, CIHR announced that a research team was selected through a rigorous peer-review process to conduct a phase I/II clinical trial on CCSVI. To protect the independence of the institutional research ethics boards, REBs, the names of the research team's members and institutions involved have been withheld until REB approval. Once the selected team received ethics approval for two sites, Vancouver and Montreal, the Minister of Health announced the name of the principal investigator of the study: http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/45919.html.

Two additional sites, Winnipeg and Quebec, are still seeking ethics approval, a process that is totally independent from CIHR.

[Questions on the Order Paper, October 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, historically, and in keeping with the treatment models of the time, the federal government supported hospitals specifically to treat tuberculosis or TB. However, as the rates declined and treatment regimens changed, these hospitals were no longer needed and many were converted to provide more general health care services. Rates of TB in Canada have significantly decreased since the 1950s, falling to a rate of 4.6 cases per 100,000 population in 2010. This decrease in rates was largely due to the discovery of antibiotics for TB in the late 1940s. The introduction of this effective treatment greatly shortened and facilitated recovery, thus decreasing the need for hospitals dedicated to the treatment of TB.

Health Canada does not have historical data specific to hospitals supported by the federal government for the treatment of TB.

Currently, provinces and territories have the legislated authority for TB prevention and control within their jurisdictions. Health Canada supports TB prevention and control in first nations on-reserve by either providing services directly or providing funding to first nation communities, first nation organizations, provinces or regional health authorities for the delivery of services.

The Public Health Agency of Canada does not collect information on hospitals or centres that treat tuberculosis. However, the Canadian Tuberculosis Reporting System, CTBRS, managed by the agency, collects information on all individual reported cases of active tuberculosis diagnosed among aboriginal people in Canada. Reports of all new active and re-treatment tuberculosis cases are annually submitted to the agency by all provinces and territories. For more information on the CTBRS and the most recent data available, please consult the following website: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/tbpc-latb/pubs/tbcan09pre/index-eng.php.

[Regional Development, October 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as a proud northerner, I am happy to be part of a government that is committed to helping the north reach its true and prosperous potential. Starting tomorrow, in my home territory of Nunavut, I will be hosting a series of meetings with key northern stakeholders to get their views on Canada's upcoming Arctic Council chairmanship.

Our government will continue to work with northerners to bring a strong, united voice for Canada to the international scene.

[Food Safety, October 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, Health Canada is always reviewing new science and new information to ensure that the safety of Canadians is protected. That is why the department has started a review of the science around mechanical tenderization. Any new information will be communicated to Canadians.

While this review is ongoing, we will continue to recommend that Canadians take steps to protect against food-borne illnesses, such as cooking their food and washing their hands.