pdf download - First Nations Health Council

More documents

Recommendations

Info

HEALTH PROMOTION, DISEASE AND INJURY PREVENTION 18 Community-based health programs are being developed to assist First Nations to deal with health promotion and disease and injury prevention issues affecting their communities, so that the incidence of preventable diseases and injuries in the First Nations population becomes comparable to that of other British Columbians. Key to the strategy is: Increasing access to traditional foods and medicines, improving food security, and developing culturally appropriate health promotion and prevention tools. Holistic Health Programs Although the TFNHP does not have an action item entitled ‘Holistic Health’ it is clear from the various actions and strategies contained within it that the First Nations priority for holistic approaches is an underlying principle. This discussion table was convened in order to provide guidance to how holistic approaches could be more effectively intertwined with the activities within the TFNHP. Question 1: What does holistic health mean to you? • Depends on individual, family and community. • Holistic – integration of all elements of health. Question 2: What does a holistic health program look like? • Include traditional approaches. • Support ability of Aboriginal frontline staff to take this message into the homes. • Provide training on traditional practices. Question 3: How would we pursue a holistic health program within the tripartite process? • Advocate for holistic approaches within tripartite processes. ActNow: General As described in the TFNHP and the First Nations Health Council’s “Year in Review 2007-2008” participation in ActNow BC was initiated through the University of Northern British Columbia, and is being implemented through First Nations ActNow specific projects (e.g. Community Tool Kits), collaborations with other health initiatives (e.g. Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative, First Nations Education Steering Committee), and partnerships with other ActNow BC programs (e.g. Action Schools BC) to expand First Nations access to as many ActNow BC programs as possible. In commenting on how the ActNow Initiative could respond to Health Promotion and Chronic Disease prevention issues the participants noted that: • Community role models/mentors need to be recognized. • Community dialogues should take place in order to identify strategies and plans. • There needs to be more training on Health Promotion for community health workers – needs to be access to Health Promotion tools. • Leadership needs to put Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion on their agendas. • Leadership needs to live healthy lives since they are role models. • mental health should be included in the Action Health Promotion strategy. • Provincial First Nation Centre of Excellence for Chronic Disease Prevention should be established. • Research, literature, and health promotion resources need to be developed at the community to community level. • Funding needs to be larger and sustainable for Health Promotion strategies. ActNow: Physical Activity Within the four pillars of ActNow (i.e. Tobacco Cessation, Healthy Choices in Pregnancy, Nutrition, and Physical Activity) First Nations have emphasized Physical Activity and Nutrition as priorities for action that have the most potential for improving health outcomes and impacting on the other pillars of ActNow. During the 2007 Gathering Wisdom forum the physical activity and nutrition elements were addressed at one table. For this 2008 Gathering separate table discussions were convened. In summary the participants encouraged: • Validate and include physical activity as an essential cornerstone to improve health by including it in the Accord. • Provide more youth activities that are longterm not just project based (e.g. Boys Clubs). Also need Girls Clubs for adolescent girls that are driven by young women rolemodels. These clubs can build self-esteem, leaders in training, activities, etc. • Community has individual needs and resources – develop strategic plans suited for community and to assist in making physical activity a priority (i.e., needs assessments to know challenges, weather, respond to community feedback, generate community support, etc.) • Ideas to reduce barriers included consideration of a universal BC passcard to help you go to II SECONd ANNUAl FORUm
any event/access (i.e., leisure access card, golf course access, etc.), lowering gas prices • Determine what are the Best Practices and promote them (e.g. How do other First Nations communities succeed? more training that is culturally appropriate - e.g. FKC) • Increase awareness of mainstream funding and grants • Provide promotional materials (e.g. brochures, DVDs, and “cool stuff” for kids) • A number of ideas suggest the need to develop a broader strategy around physical activity that includes: • famous athletes and speakers in materials (i.e., NHL) • all-native hockey tournament • women’s soccer players highlighted • support for organized sport-paid coaches for soccer and basketball • update facilities and equipment • help with wildlife programs ActNow: Nutrition Nutrition and physical activity are seen to go hand in hand in many respects, and this is particularly true in terms of work within the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative. When asked to provide guidance on how best to promote healthy eating in First Nations communities the participants stressed that it will be important to address issues and actions in the areas of access, traditional foods, education/awareness, and school based approaches: Access: • Lack of resources to purchase healthy foods. • Cost (isolated communities). • Traditional Food Promotion: • Seasonal traditional food preparation. • Researching nutritional value (i.e. Ca2+). • Food security. • Food safety preparation (legislation). • School-based Policies and Promotion: • Healthy menu development. • Serving traditional foods. • Serving healthy foods. • Education: • Small, gradual steps to sustainability. • multi-media. • Practical activity sheets. • Community-based training. Injury Prevention The TFNHP sets as one of its goals the establishment of appropriate programs to assist First Nations to deal with the most pressing health promotion and disease and injury prevention issues affecting their communities, so that the incidence of preventable diseases and injuries in the First Nations population becomes comparable to that of other British Columbians. The input from the 2007 Gathering encouraged that ‘injury prevention’ be reframed to include a wider number of injuries than the initial items identified in the TFNHP. Consistent with that, the participants at the 2008 Gathering defined effective injury prevention within a tripartite process in broader terms focusing on a wide variety of ‘risks’: Injury prevention is seen to include: Suicide: • Alcohol, copycats, bullying, self-harm, intent to self-injure. • motor Vehicle: • Car seat, booster seat, drugs, alcohol. Alcohol: • Water safety, domestic violence, family violence. • Home Safety: • Access to cleaning agents, fire, electrical. Child Safety: • Young age drinking. • Trapped in old fridges and cars. • Playground equipment. • Bike safety. Effective Strategies include: • NAYSPS/ASCIRT/FAST. • Education. • media. • Enforcement. • Community ownership. • Holistic approach – include arts, contemporary, traditional. • Traditional intergenerational teaching. • Community based activities such as clean-ups, and funding workshops. FNHC can address injury prevention within the TFNHP by emphasizing: • Culture. • Dedicated funding. • Surveillance. • Database. • Getting funding where needed. • Youth involvement at tripartite level. • more human resources. • Offering solutions rather than just presenting statistics. • Experiential messages from people who survived. • media campaign. Traditional Medicine Reduced access to traditional lifestyles, food and medicine has contributed directly to the diabetes epidemic in First Nations communities. 19 VANCOUVER, bC • mAY 20 - 21 , 2008
Page 1: Second Annual Forum Vancouver, BC
Page 5 and 6: INTRODUCTION On may 20 th - 21 st-
Page 7 and 8: THE REPORT ON THE 2008 FORUM This n
Page 9 and 10: Dr. Adams spoke of the importance o
Page 11 and 12: At the 1 st Annual Forum, a number
Page 13 and 14: spoke to the minimum standards for
Page 15 and 16: DAY TWO: THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2008 OPE
Page 17 and 18: CLOSING KEYNOTE SPEAKER Dr. Martin
Page 19 and 20: FINAL WRAP-UP Dr. Evan Adams, Abori
Page 21: APPENDIX A: BREAKOUT GROUP DISCUSSI
Page 25 and 26: HEALTH SERVICES The underlying goal
Page 27 and 28: Dental The First Nations Regional L
Page 29 and 30: • Develop our own research polici
Page 31 and 32: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS
Page 33 and 34: This interactive forum theatre faci
Page 35 and 36: # OF RESPONSES “Getting a sense o
Page 37 and 38: “The one thing I liked the best w
Page 39 and 40: “Experimental learning on getting
Page 41 and 42: Delegate Cross, Nicole Laxgalts'ap
Page 43 and 44: VANCOUVER, bC • mAY 20 - 21 , 200
Page 45 and 46: Delegate Rosal, Assunta Health and
Page 47 and 48: Note Taker Springinotic, Carla Acti
Page 49: II Second Annual Forum Vancouver, B

pdf download - First Nations Health Council

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?