November 28, 2011 – Minister of Health and Social Services Tom Beaulieu met with provincial, territorial and federal Ministers of Health and Wellness in Halifax, Nova Scotia November 24-25, 2011.  

Ministers renewed their commitment to focus on common issues affecting provinces and territories, including accelerating innovation to improve care for patients and families and promoting healthy living. Agenda items at the meeting included a general discussion about the renewal of the 2004 Health Accord, shared priorities related to healthy living, and a presentation from the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

“At the meetings, I highlighted for other Health Ministers our current social conditions and their influence on our health status, as well as the continued need for investment in other factors that influence population health, such as housing, employment and education,” said Minister Beaulieu.

At the meeting, Minister Beaulieu spoke about the importance of suicide prevention in NWT communities and the need for continued investment and partnership with the federal government and non-government organisations. “We need to talk about suicides, continue to invest in community-based solutions, and understand contributing issues that lead to suicides, like mental health and addictions,” he said.  The federal, provincial and territorial governments agreed to explore further opportunities to work together on this critical issue.

The Ministers endorsed a report on childhood obesity, which includes joint activities they will be undertaking to tackle this issue. “Childhood obesity is a growing problem that is reaching epidemic proportions in Canada,” said Minister Beaulieu.  “In the NWT, we need to encourage families to move away from processed foods and promote a healthy diet based on traditional foods, while we continue our efforts to get northerners to be more physically active.”
 

For more information, please contact:

Megan Holsapple
Media Liaison
Government of the Northwest Territories
(867) 669-2302