April 26, 2007
For immediate release

News Release

Government makes investment to improve respiratory health of Canadians

OTTAWA - Ottawa - Federal Health Minister Tony Clement today joined the Canadian Lung Association to announce the development of a national action plan to improve the respiratory health of Canadians.
           
The National Lung Health Framework represents a coordinated approach to prevent and manage respiratory diseases in Canada.  The framework will lead to better policy, leadership, research, innovation and education on lung health. Over the next two days, 175 stakeholders representing a wide range of interests will discuss an outline for the action plan and establish priorities and goals for going forward.

Canada’s New Government is investing more than $1 million in financial and technical support to enable the development of the framework, including $350,000 to the Canadian Lung Association for consultations across Canada, including meetings with provincial and territorial government representatives.

“Respiratory diseases affect more than 3.5 million Canadians, some of whom end up in Canadian emergency rooms,” said Minister Clement.  “Today, Canada’s New Government is taking action with the Canadian Lung Association to improve the lung health of all Canadians.”

“Through partnership with the Government of Canada and stakeholders nationwide, we are building an Action Plan on Lung Health that will make a significant improvement to the health of Canadians and their families,” said Nora Sobolov, Chair of the Interim Steering Committee for the National Lung Health Framework. “It is simply not acceptable that one Canadian dies every 20 minutes from lung disease, or that rates of lung disease continue to grow at a staggering rate.  The time for action is now: and that is exactly what this is all about.”  

Serious lung diseases include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, influenza and pneumonia, bronchiolitis, tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis, and respiratory distress syndrome.  According to the World Health Organization, lung disease will be the third leading cause of death in the world by 2020.

The Public Health Agency of Canada works to prevent and control the health effects of chronic respiratory diseases.  For more information, visit www.phac-aspc.gc.ca.

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Media Inquiries:
Erik Waddell
Office of the Honourable Tony Clement
Federal Minister of Health
(613) 957-0200

Alain Desroches
Public Health Agency of Canada
(613) 948-7970