In July 2015, the Government of Canada announced $120.5 million in ongoing, stable funding for seven health programs administered by Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. The funding supports Aboriginal health promotion and disease prevention activities as well as two programs that enhance communities’ ability to administer and deliver health services.
Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative (ADI)
$46.8 million per year
Health Canada’s Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative aims to reduce Type 2 diabetes among First Nations and Inuit. The funding supports health promotion and disease prevention activities and services that are delivered by trained community workers and health services providers. These services are available in all First Nations and Inuit communities across the country. According to the 2008/10 Regional Health Survey, the program has successfully increased access to diabetes prevention information and education services.
Increasing health human resource capacity is another focal point for the program. For example, recent results show that communities with certified diabetes workers funded through ADI are more likely to support preventative diabetes screening and collaborate with other health professionals and staff across programs, resulting in more comprehensive and integrated client services.
Maternal Child Health (MCH)
$29.5 million per year
Health Canada’s Maternal Child Health program provides home visiting by nurses and community based workers for First Nations pregnant women, as well as families with infants and young children. It also supports screening and assessment and health promotion activities, including prevention activities to support children’s oral health. The program offers local, integrated programming that is grounded in First Nations and Inuit culture and responsive to individual, family and community needs.
MCH services reach communities throughout the country, and are delivered in more than 300 First Nations communities. Over the last three years, MCH programming has served more than 8,000 families with young children, and provided training to approximately 250 community members. At the same time, children’s oral health programming has provided access to clinical preventive oral health services to approximately 20,000 children.
National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy (NAYSPS)
$13.5 million per year
The National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy aims to prevent suicide among First Nations and Inuit youth. This programming supports activities that help reduce suicide risk factors, such as:
- skills development and coping skills
- job readiness
- recreational activities that decrease isolation and increase peer support and promote physical activity
- activities that increase healthy behaviours and problem solving
- activities that connect youth with Elders, their community and their culture.
To date, NAYSPS has funded up to 145 projects annually. Its activities and community-based approach are consistent with expert reviews of the effectiveness of suicide prevention programs and align with international suicide prevention strategies for Indigenous populations, as well as the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework.
Aboriginal Head Start On Reserve (AHSOR)
$5.0 million per year to supplement existing AHSOR funds of $42.7 million per year
Funding in this announcement provides supplementary support to two Aboriginal Head Start programs: Aboriginal Head Start On Reserve (AHSOR), and Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities (AHSUNC) for off-reserve communities.
The 2008/10 Regional Health Survey reported that children who attended AHSOR were more likely to have participated in healthy physical activities and traditional cultural extra-curricular activities, compared to children who had not attended AHSOR.
The full AHSOR program currently serves more than 11,300 children in over 350 First Nation communities across Canada. This supplemental funding supports outreach and home-visiting activities that extend the reach of centre-based programming to more than 3,300 children and families.
Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities (AHSUNC)
$5.0 M/million per year to supplement existing AHSUNC funds of $31.1 million per year (Public Health Agency of Canada)
The Aboriginal Head Start programs are recognized as model early-childhood programs. Sites provide preschool education in classroom settings that engage children in their culture and language, and encourage parental participation. Parents also benefit from peer support and referrals to community supports.
The Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities program has a positive effect on school readiness, specifically in improving children’s language, social, motor and academic skills. Studies also demonstrate effectiveness in improving cultural literacy, enhanced exposure to Aboriginal languages and cultures, as well as positive effects on health promoting behaviours such as children’s access to daily physical activity and health/dental services. There are currently 133 off-reserve sites across Canada in the core AHSUNC program offering half-day classroom programming for approximately 4,800 Aboriginal children primarily aged 3-5 years. This supplemental funding supports the existing AHSUNC sites through skills development and training for staff, responding to emerging issues, as well as by addressing gaps (e.g., underserved communities, infrastructure repairs/improvements, capital investments, etc.).
Health Services Integration Fund (HSIF)
$15.8 million per year
Health Canada’s Health Services Integration Fund recognizes the need to develop capacity to effectively manage and align health services for First Nations and Inuit communities. From 2010/11 to 2014/15 HSIF focused on funding broad scale, multi-community projects that supported the integration of health services delivered by First Nations and Inuit communities and organizations, as well as provincially and territorially funded services. Since 2010, HSIF funded 77 projects across the country involving 518 communities, more than 70 First Nations and Inuit organizations, 47 Regional health Authorities and 18 non-health government bodies (federal, provincial and/or municipal).
HSIF will continue to fund First Nations and Inuit organizations, communities and other entities to deliver ‘ready to implement’ integrated service delivery arrangements and regional collaborative activities that will develop new aggregated First Nations owned and controlled service delivery models.
Aboriginal Health Human Resources Initiative (AHHRI)
$4.9 million per year
Health Canada’s Aboriginal Health Human Resources Initiative provides scholarship and bursaries for Aboriginal students pursuing health careers and training for community-based workers, including First Nations health managers.
From 2005-2013, AHHRI supported more than 3,000 students who attended a wide range of health career programs through bursaries and scholarships. It also hosted 17 regional career fairs across the country reaching more than 9,000 youth. Since 2010, the program has funded the certified training for 450 community-based workers. In addition, the program supported the creation of a National First Nations Health Managers Association and the training of First Nations health managers which has supported community-based worker retention.
Going forward, AHHRI will continue to increase the number of First Nations and Inuit entering into health careers and enhance community based workers skills and certifications. This is achieved through two program streams: bursaries and scholarships to Aboriginal health career students and training and certification of community-based workers. Each year, 475 Aboriginal students will be awarded bursaries and scholarships in health professions such as nursing, medicine, midwifery, physiotherapy, pharmacy, oral health, laboratory technology, and radiation technology. In addition, the community based worker stream will support the direct provision of training and certification of Aboriginal individuals working in areas such as addictions, mental health, early childhood education, Aboriginal diabetes and personal support workers.