Provincial and territorial ministers of health renewed our commitment to work together so people across Canada can lead healthy lives at all ages, says Health and Wellness Minister Doug Currie.
Minister Currie is participating in the Provincial-Territorial Health Ministers Meeting in Banff, Alberta this week. During the meeting, Ministers renewed their commitment to work on the Premiers’ Health Care Innovation Working Group priorities relating to pharmaceuticals, appropriateness of care and seniors care.
“Our population is rapidly aging and healthy aging must be a priority for us all,” said Minister Currie. “I look forward to the creation of a pan-Canadian Task Force on Aging so we can engage governments, health care providers, senior’s organizations and other stakeholders to find, and implement ways to help seniors live longer, healthier lives.”
During the two day meeting, Health Ministers identified new areas for collaboration on health care and shared best practices on health care innovation. Ministers established a new office for the Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance to strengthen the capacity of provincial-territorial governments to collectively negotiate lower prices for drugs, while allowing the development of more comprehensive pharmaceutical strategies. Ministers agreed on the need to pursue a National Phamaceutical Strategy, and also agreed to build on strategies to reduce tobacco use, particularly among the vulnerable youth of the nation.
Ministers identified risks with emerging tobacco products, and agreed that more needs to be done to address the growing market for e-cigarettes and called on the federal government to develop a regulatory framework for e-cigarettes in collaboration with provinces and territories.
“These products pose risks to health, safety and tobacco control, especially for youth and I and very concerned about their growing acceptance,” said Minister Currie. “Even e-cigarettes without nicotine can increase the social acceptability of smoking and that is certainly not the message we want to send our youth.”