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Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
- The office of the Chief Medical officer of Health provides leadership, direction and expertise in defining the mission, principles and strategies for various health protection programs delivered within the Territory of Nunavut to promote public health.
- The Chief Medical Officer and the Assistant Chief Medical Officer are part of an interdisciplinary team of public health professionals, composed of managers, epidemiologists, environmental health, communicable disease, Tuberculosis, public health nursing, and health promotion consultants/coordinators.
- Using an inter-sectoral approach which involves all GN Departments and Non-Government Offices (NGOs) whose mandate impacts on health strategies to improve, protect and promote the health of all Nunavuumiut, strategies are developed.
- This office assures appropriate standards of public health practice in the monitoring, evaluation, communication and response to health issues.
- As an advocate for the health of Nunavuumiut, both the Chief Medical officer of Health and the Assistant Chief Medical Officer of Health communicate independently to the public as necessary to provide recommendations on health issues.
- Develops operational guidelines like immunization programs and disease surveillance throughout the Territory based on local demographics, in consultation with the Health Protection Unit.
Health Protection Unit (HPU)
- The Health Protection Unit provides expert advice and quality support to the regions, which are responsible for the delivery of programs and services dedicated to protecting the health of the population.
- The Unit functions as an epidemiology unit (see 'Note') to measure association between exposure and disease in individuals to understand the causation of disease in populations to prevent its spread.
NOTE: Epidemiology: A branch of medical science that deals with the incidence, distribution and control of disease in a population.
The Health Protection Unit comprises of the following Program areas:
I Communicable Disease Control;
II Tuberculosis Control;
III Public Health Nurse Control;
IV Environmental Health Program.
I Communicable Disease Control:
Communicable Disease Control's primary goal is to prevent and control communicable diseases within Nunavut.
- The Communicable Disease Consultant monitors, identifies and acts effectively in collaboration with regional offices to address emerging communicable diseases and assisting in providing appropriate interventions including outbreak investigations for early intervention services.
- Educates the public and the health care professionals regarding the emerging infections and its prevention and treatment.
Background:
Most commonly reported communicable diseases in Nunavut are sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), Tuberculosis, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and other childhood viral infections. Compared to national averages, in Nunavut, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are up to 20 times higher.
Fact Sheets on Communicable Diseases:
For information on the most commonly asked questions about the various Communicable Diseases click on the appropriate topic, highlighted in blue, below.
What is Chlamydia?
What is Gonorrhea?
What do you know about Herpes?
What is HIV?
What is Syphilis?
What is RSV?
II Tuberculosis Control:
- Tuberculosis Control's primary goal is to reduce the incidence of TB in Nunavut through surveillance, education and clinical services.
- The Tuberculosis Consultant advocates multidisciplinary projects to create comprehensive prevention and treatment strategies for Tuberculosis.
- Ensure prompt and appropriate treatment for all diagnosed to prevent globally emerging Multi Drug Resistant TB (MDRTB).
- Evaluates the on-going TB management and control program for its effectiveness.
Background:
Tuberculosis is one of the main public health concerns of Nunavut, with the tuberculosis incidence rate in the Territory being almost seventeen times that of the Canadian average. And though the number of new cases is declining, the reservoir of infection in the aging Nunavut residents still prevails. TB elimination remains an ongoing battle. Environment and socio-economic conditions all contribute to its spread.
Facts about TB
III Public Health Nurse, Control:
The Public Health Nurse Consultant provides comprehensive current information and advises on a variety of public health programming issues according to the standards of nursing practice in Nunavut and the philosophy and objectives of the Department of Health and Social Services.
Responsibilities include provision of resources information and advise to regional and community health care professionals concerning:
- Immunization programs; and
- The establishment of the Nunavut Pandemic Influenza Contingency Plan.
In collaboration with the Community Nursing Specialist the position also assists in defining the public health role to be fulfilled by Public Health Nurses.
Immunization Program In Nunavut
In Nunavut infants are routinely vaccinated from birth. The government funds all childhood immunization and most of adult immunizations. The goal of the Nunavut Health Protection Branch is to achieve an uptake of vaccine equal to or above the national average.
There is small fee for specific immunization and international travel immunizations
See table below for children and adult immunization schedule.
A new vaccine, Prevnar, is being offered this year to children less than two years of age. Prevnar, a relatively new vaccine approved for use in Canada, acts against Pneumoncoccus (pronounced: new-mo-cock-us, also called Streptococcus Pneumoniae) is a bacteria that is a major cause of meningitis, blood infections, pneumonia and ear infections. This vaccine helps to protect and also reduce the risk of these infections in infants and children.
Fact Sheets on Immunization
IV Environmental Health Program:
The Environmental Health Specialist:
- Provides recommendations and direction, consultation, development of standards, monitoring, maintenance and evaluation of all environmental health programs within Nunavut The Environmental Health Specialist reviews the Public Health Act and Regulations and environmental health standards and policies and makes recommendations for revisions.
- Guides the regional environmental health officers in development and implementation of programs and policies in prevention of disease, which are caused by the environmental factors including food, water, waste disposal, housing and the sanitation of public places including schools, day cares and other institutional facilities.
- Guides the Regional Environmental Health Officers in water and food-borne related illness investigations and food recalls.
- Guides the regions in the monitoring of drinking water supplies.
- Provides technical advice on investigations and follow up of rabies prevention and control program within Nunavut. Assist the Regional Environmental Health Officers with the follow up on rabid animals, or animals that have been exposed to rabid animals and any people who have been exposed.
- Assists with development of health education and promotion materials and activities related to environmental health.
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