News Release
2003-55
July 10, 2003
For immediate release
$4.5 million investment to strengthen primary health care in Nunavut
IQALUIT - On behalf of the Honourable Anne McLellan, Federal Minister
of Health, Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Member of Parliament for Nunavut, and Ed Picco, Health
and Social Services Minister for Nunavut, today announced the Government of Canada is investing
$4.5 million in initiatives designed to ensure Nunavut residents have access to high-quality,
affordable, and sustainable primary health care services.
Primary health care refers to the first level of care and the initial point of contact
a patient has with the health system. Often, primary health care begins with the family
physician or community health nurse. Primary health care is meant to be the first step
in the continuum of care, with multi-disciplinary health care provider teams emphasizing
health promotion and illness prevention, and providing a link to more specialized care,
such as that provided in hospitals.
The Nunavut government will use a portion of this funding to support two transitional
initiatives essential for the evolution of Nunavut's primary health care system: a change
management process and an information management strategy. Expected outcomes of these initiatives
include:
- increased community participation in primary health care services design and delivery;
- closer links with community members, to provide health workers with a better understanding
of Inuit culture;
- creation of a team-based approach to primary health care; and,
- standardized collection and use of health information.
"This funding will help increase Nunavut's primary health care providers' ability to provide
comprehensive health services to the populations they serve," said Ms. Karetak-Lindell. "These
changes will result in better health outcomes for Nunavut residents which, in turn, will
relieve pressure on the health care system."
"Ninety per cent of our health care delivery is primary care," Minister Picco said. "This
money will strengthen and enhance delivery of our programs and services."
Funding for today's announcement originates from the $800-million Primary Health Care
Transition Fund (PHCTF), established in September 2000 by the Government of Canada to support
the efforts of provinces and territories and other stakeholders to develop and implement
transitional primary health care reform initiatives as part of the overall renewal of Canada's
health care system. The PHCTF was also designed to enable recipients to address overarching
primary health care issues that are common nationally or across two or more jurisdictions.
A renewed primary health care system would have the following features:
- More primary health care organizations that are accountable to provide a prescribed
set of comprehensive services to the populations they serve;
- Multi-disciplinary provider teams within these primary health care organizations;
- Better coordination and integration with health services available elsewhere, such
as hospitals;
- Greater emphasis on health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and chronic diseases
management; and,
- Improved access to essential services, 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week.
As announced in the Government of Canada's 2003 budget, federal support to health care
in Canada will increase by $17.3 billion over the next three years, and by $34.8 billion
over the next five years. This includes a $9.5 billion increase in transfers to provinces
and territories over the next five years and a $2.5 billion immediate transfer. In addition,
Canada's three territories will receive at least $60 million to meet the needs of their
remote populations, which are scattered over vast distances.
Funding for the PHCTF was built into the existing financial framework in the 2000 federal
budget.
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Media Inquiries:
Farah Mohamed
Office of Anne McLellan
Minister of Health
(613) 957-1694
Yasmina Pepa
Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs
(867) 975-6032
Tara Madigan
Health Canada
(613) 946-4250
Public Inquiries (Health Canada):
(613) 957-2991
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