(web site posting Dec 28,05)
Mr. Mayor, Councilors of Quinte West, Honoured Guests......
Councilor Hamilton and Councilor Carter.....tell me
That the City of Quinte West is awaiting .....with eager anticipation
The arrival of this year's Budget Levy....from the HPE Board of Health.
So I am here today .....first of all.....to reassure you
that that Budget request........... is on its way
And secondly..... to review with you what it is that we do at the Health Unit
What do you get ...for your money
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On the Family Health side:
We work with young people: ....adolescents .....pregnant women....
new parents......their infants.....and their young children .....
We give friendly help and advice..... to these young people
As they establish their lives..... in our community
This a very important function of the Health Unit...
I think in many ways....It is our most important work
On the Dental health side..
We screen students for dental disease ........ in the schools
and we arrange treatment ..........when it is needed
for those children ........who cannot afford treatment
It is worth mentioning the names of some of the dread diseases
............which now are preventable ...by means of ....... vaccination
diphtheria, whooping cough, lockjaw, polio,
meningitis, measles, hepatitis, rabies, influenza.
Each of these...... can be devastating
These infections ....... Used to Occur routinely ....in epidemics
In our own region........ in the last century.
Now, with the exception ......of the unsolved problem of Influenza,
these diseases generally.... no longer occur
This is because of the stunning advances.... in vaccine technology
which we have the privilege........ to deliver to the community.
We tend to take this all for granted........... but we should not.
These contagious diseases....are still out there
It is only ......through careful attention to detail
by our Health Unit staff ....that 96% of our young people
here in Hastings and Prince Edward .........
receive protection.............by complete vaccination
This is one of the highest rates.... in the country, and in North America
We also have specific ....Tuberculosis....West Nile Virus prevention programs
Again, very serious diseases
Another way....... that we prevent infectious disease
Is By ensuring.......... Food safety.... and the safety of drinking water.
These are obviously very basic...and very important functions
However, Food safety, and safe drinking water .....in our community
is not ensured ......... without the oversight of the Health Unit
We also work to prevent and control the spread of..........sexually transmitted diseases .
And we monitor and control............. Outbreaks of infectious diseases
When they occur......... as they often do,
in our hospitals........ and long-term care facilities.
This is especially important..... in the wintertime ...
when respiratory ........and gastrointestinal infections occur
These can be deadly
especially in the elderly.......... who are vulnerable to these infections.
Our role in controlling these outbreaks........ is organized ....and effective ..and essential.
As our population ages ....it is the chronic diseases
...heart and lung disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis
which sicken adults prematurely.
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Health hazards......whether biological, chemical, or physical
commonly threaten... or apparently threaten..... the community
It is the responsibility of the health unit ........to investigate these.
We saw a number of examples.....during the past year....e.g. botulism in Lake Ontario
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Full scale disasters on the other hand.......... rarely occur
Disaster Planning....produces an organized and practiced approach
Which coordinates resources.........
so that an effective response............. can to be mounted when it is needed.
We do this with Municipalities.....as well at the HCNSEO....and internally
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Mr Mayor.....and Councillors..... we at the Board of Health believe
That we have a very exciting..... and very important.... product here
And we think ....that it comes at a reasonable price.....$14 per person in local taxes
When you support our Budget requests each year
Your effect... in reducing misery and mortality in this community.... is huge.
Mr. Mayor.....