February 2, 2015
February is Heart Health Month - a time for Canadians to think about how our every day choices contribute to heart health and general wellbeing.
Heart disease affects more than 1.4 million Canadians, which is why reducing risk through healthy habits is so important. Making choices like eating well, being physically active, and avoiding tobacco are within our control to reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
The Government of Canada is committed to finding ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat cardiovascular diseases. Since 2006, our government has invested over $380 million in cardiovascular health and stroke research. This includes over $8 million to support the Canadian Vascular Network and the Canadian Stroke Prevention Intervention Network. These networks bring together the best minds in the fields of vascular health and stroke prevention in order to enhance research innovation and impact.
Under the Government of Canada’s Multi-Sectoral Partnership Approach to Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention, our government invests $20 million per year in projects that focus on addressing common risk factors to prevent chronic diseases like heart disease.
Our Government is committed to protecting Canadians’ health by supporting healthy living, physical activity, and chronic disease prevention for Canadians of all ages. Innovative partnerships such as The Play Exchange, Build Our Kids’ Success (BOKS) and the RBC Learn to Play Project encourage all Canadians to adopt healthier more active lifestyles. In addition, the Child Fitness Tax Credit helps to promote healthy living from a young age.
Our Government has also committed to installing Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and providing related training for staff in recreational hockey arenas across the country. In the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, early access to CPR and defibrillation could save the lives of many Canadians. Working with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, our goal is to have these life-saving devices installed in all recreational hockey arenas across the country by the end of the program in March 2016.
During Heart Health month, and every day of the year, I encourage all Canadians to take further steps to adopt a heart-healthy way of life.
For more information about heart disease and heart health, please visit Healthy Canadians, or the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Rona Ambrose
Minister of Health
Government of Canada
