November 6, 2013
Montreal, QC
Check Against Delivery
Good afternoon.
First and foremost, I want to thank Parachute and the Canadian Red Cross for co-hosting this conference on injury prevention and safety promotion. In doing so, you're shining a spotlight on a health issue of increasing importance.
Parachute, the Canadian Red Cross and their many partners have played a critical role in reducing the number of intentional and unintentional injuries in Canada over the past several years.
I want to sincerely commend, Louise Logan, John Dalzell, Pam Fuseli and Dr. Charles Tater from Parachute.
This organization exists today, because four separate charities came together, as one voice, for one reason and that is to drive cultural change to prevent injury and save lives.
And Leslie Dunning, from the Red Cross, who is here to raise awareness and bring violence and abuse prevention into the dialogue and forefront and push for change.
The work you are doing touches the lives of countless Canadians who all have one thing in common: a desire to live a healthy life to the fullest.
Unfortunately, however, that's not always the case.
Intentional and unintentional injuries are far more common than many people think. They are often considered "accidents" but the truth is most injuries are both predictable and preventable.
Today, I want to echo the remarks made by Dr. Francescutti, President of the Canadian Medical Association, whose name is synonymous with public health and safety and whose mission it is to promote injury prevention in Canada.
He and I both agree that there needs to be a paradigm shift in terms of our collective thinking around this issue. And that is why, today, I'm challenging all Canadians to be part of the conversation that brings injury prevention to the forefront.
UNINTENTIONAL INJURIES
The reason I'm issuing this challenge is because preventable injury is the leading cause of death for Canadians aged one to 44 years. An injury can happen to anyone at any time but children, youth, seniors, Aboriginal people and those of low socioeconomic status tend to be more at risk than others.
Unintentional injuries include such things as concussions, motor vehicle injuries, drowning, burns, falls, and poisonings. They are also influenced by high risk behaviours such as texting and driving or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Given the wide spectrum of injuries that can occur, it's hard to imagine one common denominator. But something they all tend to share is that most can be prevented.
Before proceeding, I want to remind participants that preventable injury is also a concern from a health equity perspective. Statistics show that the groups I mentioned earlier carry a higher burden of injury than other Canadians.
But statistics, of course, are cold, hard facts. The harsh reality is that a preventable injury or death can be devastating. A senior citizen suffering from a fall can have life changing consequences.
It can result in loss of independence, depression, rapid periods of decline and even death.
Like many of you, I have aging parents. As they get older, I have a responsibility to be aware of their physical limitations and the steps that can be taken to make their daily life safer. It's a responsibility I take seriously and am willing to confront head on.
I can't stress enough the importance of this issue. Many people who survive an injury will suffer long-lasting or permanent disabilities. The heavy emotional toll this places on an individual and that person's family and friends is difficult to imagine and impossible to calculate.
The high cost of preventable injuries is not just borne by families and societies. It also places an unnecessary burden on our healthcare system and exacts a heavy toll on our economy.
According to 2009 statistics, the direct and indirect cost of both intentional and unintentional injury in Canada was estimated at almost $20 billion.
As Minister of Health, I'm proud of the fact that our healthcare system is there for Canadians when and where they need it.
Every day, doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals are on the front lines managing the consequences of injuries including broken limbs, burns, poisoning, mental trauma, and long-term disability. But unintentional injuries are putting an undue strain on our healthcare system.
There is good news though.
Over the years we've learned that by working together and leveraging our resources, we can reduce the number of unintentional injuries and make a real, tangible difference in the lives of Canadians.
The key to that is prevention.
And the key to prevention is research, evidence, education and action.
Everyone gathered here today has a role to play when it comes to addressing this complex issue. No one group can solve it alone.
FEDERAL ACTION
From a federal perspective, we're striving to do our part to prevent injuries and promote safety across Canada.
Three weeks ago today, Canada's Governor General delivered the Speech from the Throne. In it, he outlined our Government's forward agenda.
I'm pleased to report that as part of our commitment to safeguarding and protecting Canadian families, we will collaborate with injury prevention organizations to reduce the injury rate in this country.
One example of this was our Active and Safe Injury Prevention Initiative. The focus of this work was on preventing concussions, drowning, fractures and other serious injuries among children and youth in high participation activities such as hockey, swimming, snow sports and cycling.
This initiative provided training, raised awareness, and developed guidelines and toolkits for parents, teachers, coaches and young people so that more children and youth can stay safe while being physically active.
The Age-Friendly Communities Initiative is another initiative we're quite proud of. Through this work we're helping to make communities better, safer and healthier places for Canadians to live and thrive as they age. Since this work began, more than 850 communities in Canada are actively engaged in making their communities more age-friendly.
Both of these examples demonstrate how our Government is trying to shift people's thinking in terms of being physically active while at the same time taking the appropriate steps to mitigate injuries that are largely preventable.
Let me give you a personal example. Every year, I embark on a significant hike through the Rockies with Mrs. Harper. It's something I look forward to all year long but I don't undertake such an excursion without proper planning.
For me, safety is at the forefront. It's all about preparation and appropriate levels of risk. In each of the physical activities I enjoy, I strive to incorporate measures that protect me from injury. This is the thinking we're trying to instil in everyone.
In addition to the initiatives I just mentioned, our Government also conducts important surveillance and funds research to identify risks, trends and patterns in order to make injury prevention efforts even more effective.
Just this week, I announced funding towards 19 research projects that will look at programs that prevent, diagnose and treat concussions, with a focus on Youth.
This work helps community-based programs provide injury prevention awareness and education to parents and young children, with a specific focus on at-risk populations.
In terms of broader consumer product safety measures, our Government works closely with industry, retail groups and consumer associations to develop better safety standards and regulations for products used by Canadians every day.
When the new Canada Consumer Product Safety Act came into effect in June 2011, it gave us the authority to remove dangerous products from store shelves. A few months ago, for example, it became clear that some products containing small, powerful magnets posed a danger to children.
If more than one magnet is swallowed in a short period of time, the results can be very serious......even fatal. Under the new Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, we've taken steps to remove these products from the marketplace.
For me this highlights the commitment we've made to protecting the health and safety of Canadians, and especially Canadian kids.
INTENTIONAL INJURIES
We've talked about unintentional injuries and some of the work being done to raise awareness around that issue but, now, I'd like to shift our focus to intentional injuries.
By intentional injuries I'm referring to such things as family violence, suicide and self-harm.
This year's conference theme, Evidence to Action: Prevent Injury and Violence Now, resonates with me personally.
For most of my life, I've worked to end family violence and specifically violence against women. Before entering politics I was involved in the Status of Women's Action Group, the Victoria Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse Crisis Centre, and the Edmonton Women's Shelter.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has a clear mandate in the area of family violence and is responsible for the Federal Family Violence Initiative, which connects the work of 15 federal departments to help communities across the country prevent and respond to this issue.
Family violence also includes elder abuse, child abuse and neglect, child sexual abuse, and domestic violence. As you can imagine, the consequences on our society are far reaching.
Last year, a report from Justice Canada found spousal violence alone cost society at least $7.4 billion annually. Of that total, an estimated $6 billion accounts for health care costs for medical treatment and psychological services.
We recognize the serious impact violence has on individuals, families and communities. And it's why we're working with the provinces and territories - and organisations across all sectors- to help end family violence in this country.
It's also why we invest in programs and research to find out what's working in terms of breaking the cycle.
As I mentioned earlier, intentional injuries include suicide and self-harm. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for Canadians between the ages of 10 and 34. In 2009, that represented almost 3,900 lives. To put it into more concrete terms, an average of 10 Canadians die by suicide every, single day.
The question to ask is: how many of these tragedies are preventable?
FEDERAL ACTION
As a government, we know the devastating impact suicide has on Canadian families and communities. In an effort to address this significant public health issue we're promoting mental wellbeing as a key component of suicide prevention.
We're also investing in research and in programs for children, youth, and families as part of our contribution to prevent suicide. And we're consulting widely to help develop a Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention that fosters collaboration, promotes best practices and expands knowledge, awareness and education.
Through Health Canada, we've also created the National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy to combat high rates of Aboriginal youth suicide. The Strategy supports approximately 150community-based suicide prevention projects in First Nations and Inuit communities across Canada.
Nothing in life is easy - or easy to solve - especially when it comes to complex topics such as violence and suicide. All levels of government have a role to play when it comes to keeping Canadians safe and healthy. But governments don't hold all the cards. Everyone needs to be part of the solution.
By working together, having open and honest conversations and reducing the stigma attached to these issues, I'm confident we can make significant progress in ending family violence and reducing the number of intentional injuries in this country.
CONCLUSION
Before concluding, I want to again stress how important this work around injury prevention is and the need for all Canadians to join in the conversation and be part of the solution.
It's essential that we all do our part because, as I mentioned at the outset, the price of failure is high. Injuries don't just happen in isolation. They affect families, friends and communities. They tear at the very fabric of our society.
You know that.
And I know that.
Together, we have to make sure all Canadians understand that healthy, safe families build healthy, safe communities. Preventing injuries is one way we can do this. Ending family violence and working to prevent suicide is another.
Once again, I want to thank Parachute and the Canadian Red Cross for hosting this conference and shining a light on the importance of injury prevention and safety promotion. I look forward to learning about the outcomes of your discussions in the weeks and months ahead.
Thank you.
