Speaking Notes for the Minister of Health The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq. Round Table Discussion #2 UN NCD Summit - Strengthening national capacities, as well as appropriate policies, to address the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases

This content was archived on June 24, 2013.

September 19, 2011
New York

Check Against Delivery

Canada's approach to preventing non-communicable diseases is based on creating the conditions to help people live healthy lives. 

We want to ensure that Canadians know what they can do to stay healthy, and we are helping communities adopt effective ways to promote health.

Our health research funding agency has made chronic disease prevention one of its priorities.  This will give us the research evidence needed to implement effective practices. 

We can foster positive change by developing policies and regulations to help prevent NCDs.  In the area of tobacco control, we are seeing impressive results. Smoking rates continue to fall across the country - 17 percent of Canadians are smokers; down from 25 percent in 1999.

Our success is based on a mix of policies and programs consistent with the objectives of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Schools are an important place for children to learn life-long healthy living habits.  Canadian federal, provincial and territorial governments are collaborating to ensure that comprehensive school health programs are in place. 

In the same spirit of collaboration, Canada's ministers of health, recreation and sport have joined together to promote healthy living; to curb childhood obesity and to get young people to be more physically active.

By acting as a catalyst for initiatives like this, governments can integrate healthy living across many sectors.

Models of collaboration must be based on sound governance and focus on results and accountability. Canada's cancer strategy is a good example. 

The federal government established and funds the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. It is an independent organization that is accelerating action on cancer control by creating new partnerships.

It brings together cancer experts, agencies, health organizations, charities and governments. Because of the Partnership, progress is being made on prevention, screening, the patient's cancer experience and much more.

Similarly, we established the Mental Health Commission of Canada to build the partnerships needed to raise awareness of mental illness and to develop a strategy for the country.

Our desire to address challenges through collaboration extends beyond our borders. Through Canada's international assistance envelope, we are funding Grand Challenges Canada, a mechanism to support innovation in global health. Its mandate is to integrate innovation in science and technology from Canada and the developing world to improve the health of people in developing countries.

One of the things that I have stressed is the need to address the unique needs of northern and remote populations.  Unless we focus on the particular challenges faced by these communities, we will increase health disparities. 

For example, we are supporting practical research in the North that is designed to help prevent injury, treat dementia, provide mental health counselling and much more.

Low and middle-income countries will also receive help in responding to the rise of NCDs through the International Development Research Centre's non-communicable disease program. It will help developing countries with some of the leading causes of premature death including the use of tobacco, unhealthy diets, the harmful use of alcohol and physical inactivity.

At the same time, we are maintaining our full support to making a difference in the health of newborns, their mothers and all children; and in reducing the number of preventable diseases.

We have the will to bring about change at home and internationally. Through collaboration, we can increase the speed of change and improve the health and the lives of people around the world.

Thank you