Aboriginal health programming under siege, critics charge

Paul Christopher Webster

doi:10.1503/cmaj.109-4282

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Aboriginal health programming under siege, critics charge: Response to Health Minister
Paul Christopher Webster

Posted on: 10 September 2012
Letter to Editor regarding article "Aboriginal health programming under siege, critics charge" (CMAJ.ca - September 4, 2012)
Leona Aglukkaq

Posted on: 07 September 2012

Posted on: (10 September 2012)

Aboriginal health programming under siege, critics charge: Response to Health Minister
Paul Christopher Webster, Science/Medicine/Business Journalist
I am grateful to Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq for her letter responding to my Sept 4 article "Aboriginal health programming under siege, critics charge".
I am concerned, however that the Minister's letter suggests the article "did not include key facts" including what she describes as "$25 million to support research addressing suicide, tuberculosis, oral health and obesity as part of the Pathways to Health...
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I am grateful to Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq for her letter responding to my Sept 4 article "Aboriginal health programming under siege, critics charge".
I am concerned, however that the Minister's letter suggests the article "did not include key facts" including what she describes as "$25 million to support research addressing suicide, tuberculosis, oral health and obesity as part of the Pathways to Health Equity for Aboriginal Peoples initiative."
The article clearly states that "the federal government...is shifting aboriginal health research funding under the rubric of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research...CIHR has invested $151.5 million in health research related to Aboriginal peoples' health since 2006, including $31 million in fiscal 2010-11...CIHR launched a $25 million initiative aimed at understanding how to reduce Aboriginal health inequities."
We clearly reported the facts the minister suggest were omitted.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
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Competing Interests: None declared.
Posted on: (7 September 2012)

Letter to Editor regarding article "Aboriginal health programming under siege, critics charge" (CMAJ.ca - September 4, 2012)
Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health
September 6, 2012
The CMAJ's September 4th article "Aboriginal health programming under siege, critics charge" did not include key facts that would have provided a balanced view of federal aboriginal health programs.
I would like to make your readers aware of the following:
Our government is investing significantly in the health of all Canadians, including Aboriginal people.
Du...
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September 6, 2012
The CMAJ's September 4th article "Aboriginal health programming under siege, critics charge" did not include key facts that would have provided a balanced view of federal aboriginal health programs.
I would like to make your readers aware of the following:
Our government is investing significantly in the health of all Canadians, including Aboriginal people.
During a time of deficit reduction, funding was maintained for all federally-funded front-line health care services in First Nation and Inuit communities, including nursing.
Unlike the claims made in your article, our government is making sure Aboriginal voices are heard when it comes to health research that is supposed to benefit their communities.
I recently announced an additional $25 million to support research addressing suicide, tuberculosis, oral health and obesity as part of the Pathways to Health Equity for Aboriginal Peoples initiative.
The Pathways program requires researchers to work collaboratively with community leadership, to help avoid situations where studies are created in ivory towers of academia, but don't have any positive impact on the lives of actual people.
As a Northerner, I am well aware of the health challenges faced by Aboriginal people in this country. Our government is investing strategically to help narrow the health gap between aboriginal and non- aboriginal Canadians.
Sincerely,
Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
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Competing Interests: None declared.