Canada Continues to Work with National and International Partners to Manage the Spread of the H1N1 Flu Virus

Statement

The Hon. Minister of Health, Leona Aglukkaq

June 29, 2009

H1N1 Flu Virus

I would like to take this opportunity to update Canadians regarding the Government of Canada's response to the H1N1 virus.

As always, the Government of Canada is working with its domestic and international partners to reduce the impact of the H1N1 flu virus here at home and around the world. As you may know, Canada will be a key participant in the upcoming international meeting on the H1N1 flu virus organized by the Mexican Ministry of Health.

I am pleased to say that I will attend, along with the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, to share our Canadian experience and to learn from others. This will help us as we continually look at best practices and refine our plans.

By sharing information and best practices, we can help limit the spread of this virus.

We are using what we have learned in the last few months from tracking and treating this illness to enhance our domestic emergency-management system. The meeting in Mexico is an important part of our planning for the possibility of an increase in the spread of H1N1 in the fall and winter.

Canada is a leader in pandemic planning. Through collaboration with provinces and territories, we are implementing our Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan for the Healthcare Sector.

Canada has also made a significant contribution to the global efforts to learn more about the H1N1 flu virus and how it spreads. That knowledge will help guide the response to this virus. Canada has provided technical and diagnostic support to the Mexican Ministry of Health and scientists at Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory decoded the genetic make-up of H1N1 flu virus samples from Mexico and Canada.

We are finding that although the majority of cases of H1N1 in Canada cause mild illness, there are pockets of severe illness in parts of the country and the number of reported cases continues to rise. We are very concerned by these severe cases even as our surveillance also tells us that the percentage of hospitalized cases is staying the same, at least for the moment.

Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with the provinces and territories to manage these outbreaks through their health networks.

We understand the concerns of First Nations communities in regards to the treatment and prevention of H1N1. First Nations leaders have been consulted throughout, and First Nations input will continue to be an essential part of our response.

While most of the cases are mild, its presence alone can cause stress for families and communities.

Provincial and Territorial health facilities are well equipped to deal with these clusters in large and small communities.

In First Nation communities, our nursing stations are available on a 24 hour basis and are staffed by qualified healthcare professionals. These facilities have adequate supplies of medical and personal protective equipment and more supplies are being brought in as needed.

We have sent more doctors and nurses to the affected communities. Patients showing signs of serious illness in remote or isolated areas are being taken to nearby hospitals. Anti-virals have been shipped to affected communities and Health Canada is working to ensure that additional requirements are met as needed. Epidemiologists are also studying the virus and how it's spreading in First Nation communities.

We will continue to learn more about the virus and why some communities are more affected than others.

The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the health and well-being of First Nation and Inuit communities, and we are working diligently with our partners to manage the outbreak of respiratory illness.

Officials working in the regional offices of the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch of Health Canada have been monitoring the health needs of communities throughout the country and especially those affected by this virus.

It's part of our ongoing efforts to ensure all Canadians are as prepared as possible to deal with this outbreak.

Canadians should be assured that we have national stockpiles of medical supplies and anti-viral medication at the ready in case of a large-scale outbreak. And we are working with vaccine manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline to advance the process of developing and testing a vaccine.

With summer camp season just getting started, this virus may be of particular concern to parents. As Dr. David Butler-Jones will explain in a minute, the risk for most children will not be much different than the risk they faced while in school.

We will be sharing information with our counterparts at the meeting in Mexico in just a few short days. We look forward to learning more about the path of the virus in other countries, what measures they have found effective in limiting its spread and anything else that could help us manage the H1N1 flu virus.

Minister Aqlukkaq
Minister of Health
Government of Canada