Your Health at Home - The First Nations Environmental Health Guide is Now Available

News Release
2010-70
May 07, 2010
For immediate release

OTTAWA - The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, today announced the launch of the First Nations environmental health guide Your Health at Home which provides useful information and practical tips for First Nations to keep their homes safer and healthier.

"The Government of Canada is committed to improving the health of First Nations people living in Canada," said Minister Aglukkaq. "Your Health at Home was developed to ensure that First Nations people have access to relevant and factual information needed to live in a healthy environment. It is without question that this guide succeeds in providing this vital information."

Your Health at Home provides a handy health home checklist, resource information, and useful tips on a variety of environmental health topics such as:

• Indoor air
• Noise
• Drinking Water
• Wastewater and sewage
• Food Safety
• Artistry/hobbies

"NAHO congratulates Health Canada on the release of Your Health at Home: What you can do! Health Guide which provides solutions to common environmental health issues in the home that can be readily applied," said National Aboriginal Health Organization CEO, Dr. Paulette C. Tremblay. "This in turn can make an immediate difference in improving the health of First Nations families and communities." Dr. Paulette Tremblay added that, "Environmental health is one of NAHO's top priorities and NAHO looks forward to working collaboratively with Health Canada and communities to address these issues."

The guide is one element of a multi-year First Nations and Inuit Environmental Health campaign developed to raise awareness about environmental health issues. An Inuit version of Your Health at Home is being developed and will be available in the near future.

For a free copy of Your Health at Home, please visit www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/homehealth or call 1-800-O-Canada. The guide is also being distributed directly to First Nations living in Canada.

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Media Enquiries:
Health Canada
(613) 957-2983

Josee Bellemare
Office of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq
Federal Minister of Health
(613) 957-0200

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(613) 957-2991
1-866 225-0709