Canada's first-ever Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan

[Healthy Aboriginal Hearts]

How is Your Heart?

Aboriginal Canadians are a priority in Canada's first-ever Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan . . .

News and Comment
by Tehaliwaskenhas - Bob Kennedy ( Onyota'a:ka / Oneida )
Copyright
Turtle Island Native Network
http://www.turtleisland.org

March 19, 2009


"Ending the cardiovascular disease crisis within aboriginal communities" is one of the key recommendations of Canada's Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan - "a road map for improving the heart health of Canadians from prevention to patient care".

The Strategy and Action Plan were released today with a news release stating, " Canada is heart sick and must act now".

Cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) is Canada's #1 killer and public health threat,costing the economy more than $22 billion annually.

Canada has a strategy for cancer, diabetes, and lung disease, but until now, did not have a comprehensive strategy for the number one killer and public health threat in the country - heart disease and stroke.

Nine out of 10 Canadians over the age of 20 have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease -

and "the likelihood that members of our Aboriginal and indigenous communities will develop heart disease or stroke is nearly double that of other Canadians".

The CHHS-AP outlines six key recommendations:

Creating heart-healthy environments - Helping Canadians lead healthier lives - Ending the cardiovascular disease crisis within aboriginal communities - Continuing to reform health care with improved delivery of patient-centred services

- Building the knowledge infrastructure such as improved surveillance, electronic medical records - to enhance prevention and care and more research into vascular diseases.

- Developing the right number of health care service providers with the right education and skills.

By 2020 - Decrease annual cardiovascular disease deaths by 25% - Bring cardiovascular diseases burden among Aboriginal and indigenous peoples in line with other Canadians - Decrease hypertension in adults by 32% - Decrease hospitalizations for treatment of both heart failure and acute stroke by 25% - Decrease in-hospital mortality rate from heart attacks by 32% and from stroke by 25% - Decrease the smoking rate by 25%

"We now know that up to 80 per cent of premature heart disease and stroke are preventable," said Sally Brown, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, one of the three lead organizations participating in the development and release of the Strategy.

"The CHHS-AP will allow us to focus more on prevention, among other key areas, and tackle this health challenge head-on."