Health Canada Program Update

Southern Tribal Council and Large/Unaffiliated

First Nations Meeting

October 24, 2012

Shaun MackieA/Regional Environmental Health Manager

Environmental Public Health Program Objective

The Environmental Public Health Program is to identify and

prevent environmental public health risks that could

negatively impact the health of First Nations community

residents and to recommend corrective action to reduce these

risks.

Guiding Principles

1. Work with First Nations communities as active partners in the Environmental Public Health Program.

2. Collaborate with public health workers, provincial and local health authorities, First Nations organizations and other federal, provincial and municipal departments and agencies when delivering environmental public health programming in First Nations communities.

3. Strive for a level of on-reserve environmental public health services that is comparable to that available off-reserve and consistent from region to region.

Thunder Bay East

Sioux Lookout

Southern Ontario

Thunder Bay West

Senior EHO Offices

Program Service Boundaries

Ontario Organization of EHOs

Sioux Lookout • 31 First Nations

• 1 Senior EHO - Sioux Lookout

• 4 EHOs: all in Sioux Lookout

Thunder Bay West• 39 First Nation communities

• 1 Senior EHO - Thunder Bay

• 4 EHOs: Kenora, Fort Frances, Thunder Bay (2)

Thunder Bay East• 39 First Nation communities

• 1 Senior EHO – Sudbury

• 5 EHOs: Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury(2), Timmins(2)

Southern Ontario• 25 First Nations

• 1 Senior EHO - Brantford

• 5 EHOs: London, Brantford, Washago, Toronto, Ottawa

• 1 transferred EHO serving Akwesasne

New HC Regional Staff

Regional Executive (Regional Director)

Keith Conn

Regional Community Medicine Specialist

Dr. Maureen Carew

Preparing Lab RFP

Current lab contracts expire March 2013

Currently five contracts:

Cadeuceon, chemical & bacterial

ALS, bacterial x2

Near North, bacterial

Community Based Water Monitor

Funding program for weekly sampling of community water systems/public systems

This year, 37 communities are participating

HC Drinking Water Workshops

Education/training workshops for 2012/2013

Four planned: Niagara Falls, Sault Ste Marie, Thunder Bay x2

Ontario First Nations Drinking Water Advisories (as of Oct 19th)

A total of 54 drinking water systems in 28 First Nations are under an advisory

Sioux Lookout 22 Systems 12FN

Thunder Bay 19 Systems 11FN

Southern 12 Systems 4FN

Moose Factory 1 System 1FN

Reasons for Advisory

Inadequate disinfection/residuals 38%

Equipment malfunction 32%

Poor microbiological quality 16%

Source water deterioration 8%

Elevated turbidity 4%

System may compromise public health 2%

Disease outbreak 0%

Public Advisory Disclosure

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fniah-spnia/promotion/public-publique/water-eau-eng.php

“As of September 30, 2012, there were 116 First Nations communities across Canada under a Drinking Water Advisory.”

Thank You

Questions?

Shaun Mackie A/REHMBrantford, ON519-751-6447Shaun.Mackie@hc-

sc.gc.ca