Mr. Speaker, I am listening to the colleagues across the floor and what I am hearing is politicizing. This is a Canadian health concern, a world health concern and I am hearing political grandstanding. I am aboriginal, but first of all, I am Canadian. I joined the RCMP to serve and protect this country. There are members in the House who are doctors who took an oath to help Canadians, and I think this has been lost today and tonight. I am very upset and I am very ashamed to see what has transpired here tonight. That is how I feel. That is what I am going to be saying and I should not have to say anything more. That should be my speech. However, we all have to reflect here tonight. The Liberals opposite may laugh about it, but this is how I feel.
Regarding the pandemic planning response for on-reserve first nation communities, this government has worked with all partners to ensure that first nation communities in Canada are prepared for the H1N1 influenza. This is the result of ongoing and tireless efforts among the federal government, provincial governments and most importantly, first nation communities and leadership. We must recognize that pandemic planning for first nation communities is a shared responsibility. When it comes to providing care to first nation communities, ensuring effective collaboration between the different levels of government is paramount.
First nations have been involved since the beginning. From day one we have been working with first nation leaders and provinces to ensure that communities have everything they need in a timely manner based on the best public health advice. The response to H1N1 is a true partnership among the Government of Canada, the governments of the provinces and territories, first nation leaders and first nations communities. We have maintained close contact with first nations from the beginning of the pandemic and have listened closely to their concerns.
Given the experience of SARS, the Government of Canada has worked with first nations and provinces over the past few years to raise awareness of the risk of infectious disease and to support the development of community pandemic influenza plans. As an RCMP member, I remember working in close conjunction with the provincial governments and the federal government to develop a pandemic plan that could help police officers deal with the pandemic in their communities, aboriginal or non-aboriginal. These plans reflect the needs of these communities and have been prepared with the support of Health Canada. These plans will enable a sustainable response to future emergencies and will form part of the ongoing emergency preparedness at a local level.
Health Canada continues to provide technical support to first nation communities for the development, testing, revision and implementation at the community level of influenza pandemic plans. We have provided the necessary funding in 2006-07. Health Canada allocated $6.5 million over five years to support pandemic preparedness for on-reserve first nation communities. Health Canada has also secured additional resources for the federal pandemic contingency to support a response to H1N1 outbreaks in first nation communities during the first wave.
Other commitments include, through budget 2009, $305 million over the next two years to strengthen current health programs to improve health outcomes. We have also provided an additional $135 million that would go toward improving health services infrastructure including health clinics and nursing stations in first nation communities. The most recent support to first nation communities has been the response to specific needs expressed by first nations.
Budget 2009 provides a two-year funding target of $165 million for the completion of drinking water and waste water infrastructure projects to address health and safety priorities on some first nations communities across the country.
Budget 2009 also provides $400 million over two years for innovative approaches to the increase and betterment of on-reserve housing, including new social housing projects, remediation of existing social housing stock, and a range of complementary housing activities.
The Canadian pandemic influenza plan includes Annex B, which defines the roles and responsibilities of all partners in the pandemic planning for on-reserve first nations, including the federal and provincial governments and first nations communities. As a result, today nearly all first nation communities across Canada now have a specific community plan that guides their actions in responding to an outbreak of H1N1 influenza. These plans are based on principles of national and provincial pandemic plans, but were developed by first nations community leaders to respond to the unique needs of each community.
In addition, close to 90% of these plans have been tested, whether a community has had an outbreak or not, meaning first nations have a high level of readiness and ability to respond to H1N1.
During the first wave, when first nations communities did experience outbreaks, such as those in northern Manitoba, the Government of Canada worked with its partners to ensure a timely, coordinated and comprehensive response. Those communities ably demonstrated that they were able to respond to very difficult situations.
We are all aware that first nations communities have been devastated by the epidemics in the past. We are aware of this and have made great efforts to support their communities, to work with them and the provinces, so that the necessary responses have been put in place to reduce, as far as possible, the risk of death and severe illness in first nations.
We are also aware that H1N1 caused severe disease in the spring in first nations communities, particularly in Manitoba. We responded to the needs of the communities and provided added supplies and support, and we have seen that remote and isolated communities are a priority for the distribution of the vaccine.
Health care was provided through community nursing stations to those first nations with influenza-like illness. These facilities were staffed with dedicated, qualified health professionals and provided with all the medical equipment and supplies that were needed, including hand sanitizers, antiviral medications to treat those who are sick, and information on clinical care guidelines and infection control measures. Restocking of essential equipment and supplies for nursing stations can often be done within 24 hours.
In addition, antiviral medications were shipped out in advance of any outbreaks for those first nations communities that were deemed to be at greater risk of an H1N1 outbreak. These antiviral medications continue to be used as a primary response to H1N1 disease while the immunization program rolls out.
We continually monitored and adjusted the allocation of health professionals to respond to the needs of first nations communities, and in the case of northern Manitoba, we worked closely with the provinces to help provide additional physicians. Those who were severely ill were provided with emergency medical transportation to the closest provincial hospital to receive the care they required.
Very early on in the first wave of the H1N1 influenza, we recognized that there might be a number of factors that placed first nations communities at greater levels of risk. We know, for example, that younger people aged 16 to 25, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions face greater risks from H1N1 influenza. We know that first nations are younger than the national average and that the birth rate on reserves is three times higher than it is in the rest of the country.
We also know that there are higher rates of chronic disease within first nations communities, and that social conditions, including overcrowding and limited access to water for handwashing, pose challenges in minimizing the spread and impact of a number of infectious diseases, including H1N1 influenza.
These factors put first nations communities, especially those in remote and isolated areas with limited access to provincial health services, at particular risk for H1N1 influenza. Health Canada, working with its partners, has taken a number of steps to address these risks. Working with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, we helped to ensure the delivery of supplies of water to communities to support proper handwashing and help prevent and control infections in the home.
Special medical adviser Dr. Paul Gully was put in place. He has been responsible for coordinating emergency health services to first nations communities affected by the H1N1 virus. Dr. Gully joined Health Canada following his assignment at the World Health Organization as a deputy United Nations system influenza coordinator. He has also worked previously with Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
This government has also worked with first nations and the provinces to ensure that vaccination is a key component of the overall strategy to fight H1N1 influenza. We are working with provincial governments to ensure first nations communities receive H1N1 vaccine as quickly as possible.
Mass immunization clinics are in place in many first nations communities. Remote and isolated communities have been prioritized based on the national sequencing guidelines developed with the provinces and territories. We understand that the uptake rate in many first nations communities has been very high. This is due to the leadership shown by first nations representatives and their promotion of immunization against H1N1.
Immunization clinics in first nations communities began on October 26. We expect that all clinics for remote and isolated first nations communities as a priority group will be in place by the end of this week.
Health Canada has supported the rollout of these immunization clinics by training home and community care nurses to provide the H1N1 vaccine and by providing additional health professionals from regional and national offices to go out to first nations communities to support the vaccination efforts.
As with any major undertaking of this nature, we face a number of challenges along the way. We have worked closely with our partners to learn from the challenges and improve our collaborative response to H1N1 influenza for first nations communities.
The minister has met with a number of first nations leaders at the national and provincial levels, and has visited a number of first nations communities, most recently the Cowessess First Nation in my home province of Saskatchewan, to see the community's successful approach to H1N1 pandemic planning.
Back in April 2009, the Government of Canada launched a public awareness campaign to inform Canadians about the H1N1 flu virus, including print media reaching first nations audiences.
The second cycle of this national marketing campaign is now being rolled out. It includes specific communications products tailored to first nations communities, including radio and print advertisements, and a mail-out of a pamphlet to first nations communities on H1N1 symptoms, infection prevention practices and tips on influenza preparedness.
The joint communications protocol signed with the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations and the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the Minister of Health will strengthen our collaborative efforts and improve communications with first nations communities.
On November 10, the minister will be co-hosting a first nations H1N1 virtual summit. This virtual summit will provide first nations with a comprehensive overview of pandemic preparedness in an interactive and ongoing format, and will facilitate online participation across the country, including first nations communities and leadership, health technicians and decision makers.
This will provide additional information to first nations communities and leadership on H1N1 influenza preparedness and response, including the importance of getting immunized. The timing of this virtual summit is right. It will be able to answer questions of concern to first nations, especially the youth, so we can continue to support the efforts of local first nations leadership.
We realize the job is not done. This government will continue to work with first nations and support first nations preparedness and response through the second wave of the H1N1 influenza.
