It is my pleasure to extend my congratulations to the recipients of tonight's awards.
Health research is more than an academic pursuit. It is vital to maintaining and strengthening an innovative and cost-effective health care system. Through it we develop new ways of preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases, evaluate how to integrate new developments into the health care system, and devise and test innovative ways to meet the needs of those without access to mainstream health service delivery.
Moving health care forward is about much more than dollars. It's about building a health care system for the 21st century.
Health research is at the core of that system.
I congratulate the CIHR on the fine work it is doing to develop and make health research expertise available. I look forward to many more awards nights such as this, where we can continue to honour the architects of a stronger and better health care system for Canadians.
Ujjal Dosanjh
Minister of Health
