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For immediate release - |
2005-22 |
OTTAWA (MAY 6, 2005) - The Honourable Robert G. Thibault, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, on behalf of the Honourable Ujjal Dosanjh, Minister of Health, and Dr. Alan Bernstein, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), announced today an investment of more than $6.3 million to fund six rural and northern health research projects.
"The health care challenges facing Canadians living in rural and northern communities are serious and complex, including limited access to specialized health services and shortages of qualified health care personnel," said Parliamentary Secretary Thibault. "The Government of Canada is committed to supporting research that will help find solutions to these problems and ensure that the health care needs in these communities are being met."
The CIHR Rural and Northern Health Research (RNHR) initiative is focused on research that contributes to improvement of health and health services in Canada's rural and northern communities. This year, long-term investments are being made in multi-disciplinary research projects that are expected to yield tangible results for people in rural and northern communities.
"Research is needed to strengthen our knowledge and our understanding of the health issues affecting Canadians living in rural and remote parts of the country," said Andy Savoy, MP for Tobique-Mactaquac. "These projects will offer unique opportunities to translate this new knowledge into practical ways of improving the health of all rural and northern Canadians."
The six projects announced today include:
"This initiative is part of CIHR's commitment to support research that will benefit Canadians, regardless of where they live," said Dr. Bernstein. "It is an example of how CIHR is implementing its mandate to proactively support research efforts focused on the health issues that are of greatest importance to Canadians. Our problem-based, multi-disciplinary approach to funding health research will provide the evidence that is needed to develop sound policy and improve health service delivery to people living in rural and northern areas."
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. Its objective is to excel, according to internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 9,000 researchers and research teams in every province of Canada.
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Further information:
Janet Weichel, CIHR, Communications, (613) 941-4563
Adèle Blanchard, Office of Minister Dosanjh, (613) 957-0200
