Government of Canada and partners invest $255 million in genomics research bringing new hope for Canadians living with cancer, cystic fibrosis, juvenile arthritis, childhood asthma and other diseases.

TORONTO, Jan. 23, 2018 /CNW/ - Precision health promises to transform the way Canadians receive medical care. In the near future, doctors may be able to precisely diagnose symptoms based on a patient's unique genetic makeup and offer them tailor-made treatments that can save the patient's life.

To help make that possibility a reality, the Government of Canada announced two new major investments in genomics research totalling $255 million from federal and provincial governments, as well as research institutions and private sector partners.

The federal Minister of Science, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, made the announcements at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, where she highlighted a $162 million investment through Genome Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and co-funding partners, in 15 genomics and precision health projects across Canada.

The projects funded at SickKids will provide targeted treatments for children with brain cancer and will transform treatment for children living with arthritis. The funding also supports a targeted initiative to address health challenges facing Indigenous populations, improving diagnostic outcomes for Indigenous children that have genetic diseases.

Minister Duncan also announced a second major investment to support advanced genomics technology platforms across the country. These technology platforms support the development of improved technologies that underpin research advances in health, agriculture and natural resources. A total of $93 million is being invested in 10 platforms nationwide, with $45 million in federal funding through Genome Canada and an additional $48 million from other sources.

The combined totals of these two investments will provide researchers with access to cutting-edge tools, technologies and services while furthering the Government of Canada's goal to strengthen and support the country's scientific community.

Quotes

"It is an honour to support some of Canada's leading genomics and precision health researchers through investments that will allow them to further their discoveries and innovations. Their incredible work brings hope to Canadians living with chronic illnesses, such as cancer, cystic fibrosis and arthritis, while strengthening Canada's health-care system."
– Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science

"All Canadians stand to benefit from the innovative and collaborative research projects being announced today. The platforms, tools, technologies and services that will be developed through this funding will improve our understanding of many illnesses, particularly those that affect the most vulnerable patients, including children and Indigenous peoples."
– Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health

"What's exciting about these genomics and precision health projects is how clinically-oriented they are. Most are led by clinical scientists who deal with patients on a day-to-day basis and are well positioned to apply the research to health-care settings. Further, they are not just about developing new therapies to treat diseases, but about early diagnosis and intervention to better curb or manage diseases at their onset."
– Mr. Marc LePage, President and CEO, Genome Canada

"Our understanding of the human genome and epigenetics is advancing at an unprecedented pace.  As a result, today we are creating knowledge that will improve health and health care delivery in ways that were unimaginable only years ago. CIHR is proud to partner with Genome Canada on this important initiative, and to support the outstanding scientists who are at the forefront of this rapidly growing field of research."
– Dr. Roderick R. McInnes, Acting President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Quick facts

• The precision health project teams represent the successful applicants of Genome Canada's 2017 Large-Scale Applied Research Project Competition: Genomics and Precision Health, a partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
• The genomics technology platforms investments are the result of Genome Canada's 2016 Genomics Technology Platforms – Operations Support and Technology Development Funds competition.
• Research that examines the science from the perspective of social sciences and humanities is a key component of every Large- Scale Applied Research Program project. This essential research element is designed to support the development and application of genomics research that maximizes benefits for patients and minimizes risks.

Associated links

Backgrounder – precision health projects
Backgrounder – genomics technology platforms

This event will be livestreamed on Genome Canada's Facebook page. Also follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube @GenomeCanada

Follow Minister Duncan on social media.
Twitter: @ScienceMin
Instagram: sciencemin

 

Conference Board of Canada update on Balance Calories Initiative shows an unprecedented 10.2% reduction in calories

TORONTO, Dec. 11, 2017 /CNW/ - The Canadian Beverage Association (CBA), which represents Canada's non-alcoholic beverage industry, is proud to provide Canadians with an update on the successful progress of the Balance Calories Initiative (BCI).

The Canadian Beverage Association Balance Calories Initiative: 2017 Tracking Report, prepared by The Conference Board of Canada, shows that in the first two years of BCI alone, calories have been reduced by an unprecedented 10.2 per cent. That means that since 2004 there has been an almost 30% reduction in calories consumed from non-alcoholic beverages by Canadians according to GlobalData market data.

The Conference Board Report also noted in their report that data collected from the Government of Canada's own Canadian Community Health Survey 2016, corroborates this reduction of almost 30% in calories consumed per capita/per day since 2004.

Despite calories from beverages declining by 30% since 2004, obesity continues to be a rising concern in Canada.

This significant decrease has been driven by innovative measures; reformulation, smaller portion sizes and more low/no-calories options for Canadian consumers. In 2017 alone CBA member companies launched more than two dozen new low/no-calorie products into the Canadian market place.

"It is clear that Balance Calories is working," said Jim Goetz, President, Canadian Beverage Association. "Our members have successfully removed millions of calories from sugar out of Canadians' diets, we are supporting better health outcomes for Canadians but promoting calorie balance and reducing the amount of sugar Canadians consume."

Background:

Balance Calories Initiative (BCI) – a voluntary initiative by members of the Canadian Beverage Association was launched in 2015 with the goal of reducing calories consumed from non-alcoholic beverages per capita/per day by 20% by 2025.

The Canadian beverage industry has a successful track record of leading voluntary initiatives. They include restricting marketing to children, eliminating full-calorie soft drinks from schools, and implementing front-of-pack calorie labeling, an initiative known as Clear on Calories.

The Conference Board of Canada, an evidence-based, action-oriented research organization with a non-partisan, balanced perspective, is partnered with Canadian Beverage Association and its members to benchmark and verify progress of this program.

Visit www.balancecalories.ca for more information.

About the Canadian Beverage Association

Celebrating its 75^th anniversary, the Canadian Beverage Association is the national industry association representing the broad spectrum of companies that manufacture and distribute the majority of non-alcoholic refreshment beverages consumed in Canada.

The association represents more than 60 brands of juices, juice drinks, bottled waters, sports drinks, ready-to-serve iced teas and coffees, carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, and other non-alcoholic beverages.

The Canadian Beverage Association employs 60,000 Canadians from coast to coast, with over 18,000 jobs in manufacturing. Our jobs are made in Canada, and our products are made in Canada. We proudly represent the makers of more than 60 brands of non-alcoholic beverages in more than 200 facilities nation-wide.

All Aeroplan Miles donated to the Air Canada Foundation until December 10, 2017 will be matched by Aeroplan up to 500,000 Aeroplan Miles.

MONTREAL, Dec. 7, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - This week is the Air Canada Foundation and Aeroplan Miles Matching Week in support of the Air Canada Foundation Hospital Transportation Program. This program redistributes the Aeroplan Miles donated by Air Canada customers to 15 pediatric hospitals across Canada by providing flights for sick children who need specialized health care not available in their community. Aeroplan will match all miles donated until this Sunday December 10, 2017 up to 500,000 Aeroplan Miles.

"We are grateful to Aeroplan members and to Aeroplan for their ongoing support of the Air Canada Foundation Hospital Transportation Program during this annual Aeroplan Mile Matching Week," said Priscille Leblanc, Chair of the Air Canada Foundation.  "Their ongoing generosity allows us to donate in average every year 10 million Aeroplan miles to 15 pediatric hospitals across Canada relieving families of the financial burden of unexpected expenses and allowing them to focus on the health and well-being of their sick child."

"We're overwhelmed by the generosity of our members.  Every mile donated makes an enormous impact to families and people in need across Canada.  We hope our members continue to support the incredible work that our partner the Air Canada Foundation is doing to support children who require medical care not available in their communities," said Anne-Josee Laquerre, Director, Social Purpose and Sustainability, Aeroplan.

The Aeroplan Mile Matching Week in support of the Air Canada Foundation Hospital Transportation Program is being held until this Sunday December 10, 2017. To donate your miles, please visit aircanada.com/Foundation and select the "Donate" button located on the top banner.

Aeroplan Members can also automatically donate two per cent of all miles accumulated to the Air Canada Foundation by updating the donation opt-in on their profile page on aeroplan.com.

About the Air Canada Foundation
The Air Canada Foundation, a not-for-profit organization focused on the health and well-being of children and youth, was launched in 2012. It offers financial and in-kind support, through travel assistance, to Canadian registered charities. Core programs include the Air Canada Foundation Hospital Transportation Program, which donates Aeroplan Miles to pediatric hospitals across Canada, enabling children to access medical care unavailable locally, and the Volunteer Involvement Program, which recognizes the involvement of Air Canada employees in their local communities by providing airline tickets to registered charities in support of their fundraising activities. The Foundation also offers continued support to major health-related causes that benefit Canadians and actively participates in international humanitarian relief activity as the need arises. In collaboration with the airline, the Air Canada Foundation also participates directly in fundraising activities such as the Every Bit Counts program, which encourages customers to donate loose change on board flights or through airport collection containers. For more information about the Air Canada Foundation, please visit www.aircanada.com/foundation or the 2015 Corporate Sustainability Report: Citizens of the World, online at www.aircanada.com/Foundation/Citizensoftheworld.

About Aeroplan
Aeroplan, Canada's premier coalition loyalty program, is owned by Aimia Inc., a data-driven marketing and loyalty analytics company.

Aeroplan's millions of members earn Aeroplan Miles with its growing network of over 75 world-class partners, representing more than 150 brands in the financial, retail, and travel sectors.

In 2016, approximately 2.5 million rewards were issued to members including 1.9 million flights on Air Canada and Star Alliance carriers which offer travel to more than 1,300 destinations worldwide. In addition to flights, members also have access to over 1,000 exciting specialty, merchandise, hotel, car rental and experiential rewards.

For more information about Aeroplan, please visit www.aeroplan.com or www.aimia.com.

 

TORONTO, Nov. 23, 2017 /CNW/ - A new report by Health Quality Ontario focuses on 29 Ontario hospitals who are participating in an international quality improvement program for surgery. Hospitals in Ontario performed just as well or better than their international peers on key metrics before, during and after surgery. Nearly 700 other hospitals around the world participate in this program.

The report, Quality Surgery: Improving Surgical Care in Ontario also shows areas for improvement.

This international program collects and compares surgical data on 14 indicators.  More than data, it also provides hospitals with best practices and programs to reduce the risks of post-treatment complications, and to make every stage of surgery as safe as possible.

"Ontario hospitals are stepping up to deliver on patient safety, showing a clear commitment to reduce complications after surgery and improve care," says Dr. Timothy Jackson, Provincial Surgical Lead at Health Quality Ontario.  "They are using high quality data to benchmark performance and identify areas for quality improvement."

All 29 participating Ontario hospitals are performing at expected levels or better than expected on:

• C. difficile: a common hospital-acquired infection that affects the colon
• Extended ventilation: patients needing ventilation longer than 48 hours after surgery (which can increase the risk of pneumonia)
• Unplanned intubations: patients unexpectedly needing a breathing tube during or after surgery

Areas where the majority of the 29 hospitals highlighted in this report are performing as expected or better than expected are:

• Mortality: a measure of the overall rate of death during or in the 30 days following surgery (96% of the 29 hospitals were as expected or better than expected)
• Return to the operating room: patients needing another surgery to address a complication (96% of the 29 hospitals were as expected or better than expected)
• Pneumonia: breathing devices like ventilators can increase the risk of lung infections (96% of the 29 hospitals were as expected or better than expected)
• Blood clots (venous thromboembolism or VTE): patients generating blood clots because they aren't as active during recovery and their blood flows more slowly (96% of the 29 hospitals were as expected or better than expected)
• Heart complications: heart attacks or cardiac arrest because of stress on the heart due to surgery (92% of the 29 hospitals were as expected or better than expected)
• Hospital readmissions: patients readmitted to hospital due to complications like infections or blood clots (96% of the 29 hospitals were as expected or better than expected)
• Kidney failure: kidney injury during surgery which can affect the kidney's function or even lead to kidney failure (92% of the 29 hospitals were as expected or better than expected)
• Sepsis: a life-threatening illness caused by the body's response to infection (85% of the 29 hospitals were as expected or better than expected)

Areas where most of the 29 participating hospitals have the most room for improvement are:

• Surgical site infections: different levels of infection setting into the incision or body part involved in the surgery (50% of the 29 hospitals needed improvement)
• Morbidity: the overall rate at which patients experience common complications (38% of the 29 hospitals needed improvement)
• Urinary tract infections: infections in the bladder and urinary tract that have an increased risk due to catheters (35% of the 29 hospitals needed improvement)

"During their time in the operating room and in the days of recovery that follow, surgical patients are vulnerable and their safety is of prime importance," says Dr. Joshua Tepper, President and CEO of Health Quality Ontario.  "Hospitals are to be commended for embracing a proven program of data gathering, program enhancements and culture change to improve the quality of care they provide to surgery patients."

The program is already helping to improve care at hospitals like Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital where they have reduced surgical site infections by 50% using the program's data and best practices. For example, a new change implemented by the hospital is that patients must use antiseptic body wash the day before and day of their surgery.

"If you want to make things better, you have to measure them," says general surgeon Dr. Duncan Rozario at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. "Sometimes you need a protocol and program to make real change."

For a closer look at how quality improvement efforts have been implemented at Ontario hospitals, see the full Quality Surgery: Improving Surgical Care in Ontario report for patient stories and surgeon insights at www.hqontario.ca/surgicalquality.

Additional Facts:

• Surgeons performed over 600,000 adult surgeries in Ontario in 2016-2017.
• 46.4% of Ontario's adult surgeries now take place in a hospital that is part of this surgical quality improvement program.
• 29 Ontario adult hospital facilities were included in the Health Quality Ontario comparison after voluntarily participating. 31 Ontario hospitals are now participating in the program
• This is the largest quality improvement network of its kind in Ontario.
• Worldwide, nearly 700 hospitals are taking part in the program.
• Hospitals in the following provinces are also taking part: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Newfoundland.

About Health Quality Ontario
Health Quality Ontario is the provincial advisor on the quality of health care. With the goal of excellent care for all Ontarians, Health Quality Ontario reports to the public on how the system is performing, develops standards for what quality care looks like, evaluates the effectiveness of new health care technologies and services, and promotes quality improvement aimed at sustainable positive change. Visit www.hqontario.ca for more information.

OTTAWA, Sept. 26, 2017 /CNW/ - Led by the Federation of Medical Women of Canada (FMWC) and supported by 14 other major health organizations, the world's first national Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Prevention Week — dubbed #CANADAvsHPV for its inaugural year — runs October 1–7, 2017 and will continue to be held the first week of October annually.

"HPV Prevention Week's activities are designed to increase awareness and prevention of an infection that is estimated to affect more than 75% of sexually active men and women in their lifetime, and that can cause six different types of cancer," said Dr. Vivien Brown, Past President, FMWC. "Our vision is to reach every Canadian this October with valuable information that can help protect their loved ones from HPV-related diseases and cancers."

Announced in the House of Commons in Canada's Parliament on May 30, 2017 and receiving bipartisan support, the inaugural HPV Prevention Week aims to encourage public dialogue about the prevention of HPV-related diseases and cancers. The Federation of Medical Women of Canada will campaign nationally and locally using social media, pledge posters in doctors' offices and educational resources to raise awareness about HPV prevention among the public. Numerous organizations will also host educational events for health care professionals throughout the week.

Canadians from all walks of life including patients, doctors, nurses, organizations, public health officials, researchers, experts as well as government and industry are encouraged to engage in the conversation using the campaign hashtags #CANADAvsHPV and #HPVPW17 and encourage others to learn something about HPV.

Made possible through the support of Merck Canada Inc. The opinions expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Merck Canada Inc.

To get involved in #HPVPW17, click here.
For logos, videos and other #HPVPW17 resources, click here.
For quick facts about HPV, click here.
For more detailed information about HPV in Canada, click here.

Available for Interviews:
Dr. Vivien Brown, Past President, FMWC
Local physician spokespeople across Canada
Hon. Peter Kent, HPV-related cancer survivor
Canadian patients and families affected by HPV

Creating dialogue on the importance of prevention, treatment and diagnosis, and quality of life.

VANCOUVER, Aug. 30, 2017 /CNW/ - September is Arthritis Awareness Month in Canada. It is a month dedicated to the 5.2 million Canadians living with the disease, the researchers working to find a way to save lives, and to everyone who makes arthritis research possible.

"Arthritis Awareness Month provides a platform to educate and inform Canadians about Canada's most costly and chronic disease," states Dr. John Esdaile, Scientific Director at Arthritis Research Canada. "As a result, for the month of September, we are committed to bringing awareness and creating a conversation around arthritis and the impact of research, focusing on the themes of prevention, treatment and diagnosis, and quality of life."

Campaign highlights include:

• #30daysofARC: Arthritis Research Canada is spreading the word through social media. Starting September 1^st, follow @Arthritis_ARC on Twitter for daily facts, videos, and patient stories. What's more, Arthritis Research Canada's Facebook page and website (www.arthritisresearch.ca) will offer weekly expert advice on a variety of topics. Follow #30daysofARC to join the conversation.
• Video resources: Arthritis Research Canada consistently produces a variety of clear, short videos that highlight key research findings. The newest video features Dr. Jacek Kopec, PhD, as he explains how we can slow down the increase of Osteoarthritis in Canada.

In addition to spreading the word through social media and publicizing important studies, Arthritis Research Canada continues to highlight the importance of arthritis research. With over 100 forms of arthritis, arthritis represents one in every 10 doctor visits and one in every 16 hospitalizations. And with one in six Canadians disabled by arthritis, it is the number one reason for workplace disability. Despite these statistics, arthritis receives only 3% of available research dollars in Canada.

"Arthritis Awareness Month is also a time to celebrate and thank all those donors who give so generously to make arthritis research possible," says Shauneen Kellner, Executive Director.

You can make a major impact by supporting arthritis research. During Arthritis Awareness Month, please consider one of the many ways you can donate to arthritis research—visit http://www.arthritisresearch.ca/support-us/ways-to-support for more information.

About ARTHRITIS RESEARCH CANADA:

Arthritis Research Canada is the largest clinical arthritis research centre in North America. Our mission is to transform the lives of people living with arthritis through research and engagement. Led by world-renowned rheumatologist, Dr. John Esdaile, ARC's scientific team of 70 are creating a future where people living with arthritis are empowered to triumph over pain and disability. Each of the three centres in BC, Alberta and Quebec are leading research in arthritis prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and quality of life issues.