Aboriginals in Canada face ‘Third World'-level risk of tuberculosis

[CHIMO]

Source: Globe and Mail

It's been more than 100 years since Peter Bryce, former chief medical officer at Indian Affairs, sounded the alarm over shockingly high rates of deadly tuberculosis in government-funded Indian residential schools.

Now, a century later, TB continues to be a major concern in aboriginal communities. A new federal report reveals the TB rate among status Indians to be 31 times higher than that of non-aboriginal Canadians. Among the most susceptible of aboriginal populations are the Inuit, for whom the TB rate is 186 times that of Canadian-born non-aboriginals.

The new data from the Public Health Agency of Canada come as Prime Minister Stephen Harper is preparing to put child and maternal health in the developing world at the top of the agenda when he hosts the G8 summit later this year.

Inuit and First Nations leaders say the visitors should know that Canada's aboriginals are battling a preventable disease due to overcrowding in mouldy homes. Inuit housing and social services are almost entirely reliant on transfer money from the federal government.



Read more: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/aboriginals-in-canada-face-third-world-level-risk-of-tuberculosis/article1496790/

[Spazito]

1. Canada's treatment of First Nations continues to be despicable...

it is appalling.

[earcandle]

2. Has anyone taught the Aborigines how to get rid of mold? Use bleach on surfaces. Keep foods

refrigerated.  Wipe down surfaces to keep from staying moist
and mold collecting. 

uummm..  Let the sun shine in.

I live near the beach.  This is what I do.  Hope it helps. 

[Hannah Bell]

3. ...

[marshall]

5. I wonder if they have any traditional treatments?

Perhaps if they were assisted in living in traditional style homes and utilized their own traditional practices they would revert to their former healthiness.

[borelord]

4. Treatment of first nations

people in Canada, or at least Winnipeg where I'm from, really IS despicable, much like the rest of north america. The damage done from residential schools alone seems damn near irreparable. Violence within the community is also rampant, and I've read some frightening things about the ratio of native to non native women who disappear, are sexually assaulted, or murdered. If I recall correctly, every serial killer in Canada's history has targeted native women specifically.

It's fucked up, and we need to clean up our house.

[HeresyLives]

6. It's a complete disgrace for Canada, a rich nation,

to have such third world conditions. I was hoping more would come out about it during the Olympics and shame the feds into doing something about it.

I really wish Kelowna hadn't been killed.