 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Heart disease and stroke are major causes of illness, disability and death in Canada which causes an increase in personal, community and health care costs.
Risk factors of cardiovascular disease:
The Canadian Heart Health Initiative is a countrywide multi-level strategy for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the major cause of death and disability and of rising health care costs in Canada. Heart health is an integrated approach to the control of the multiple risk factors responsible for CVD. This is an area where major health gains can be made in Canada. In 1987 Health Canada offered a partnership to the provincial departments of health to participate in the Canadian Heart Health Initiative which was planned with a fifteen year horizon (1987-2000). The Initiative has resulted in extensive networks and coalitions involving Health, all provincial departments of health, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and over 1,000 voluntary, professional, and community organizations across the country.
Coalition building and maintenance is the hallmark of the Canadian Heart Health Initiative as is the successful implementation of partnerships and coalition-based models to further heart health policy and program implementation through a linkage system involving the national, provincial and community levels. The Canadian Heart Health Network is maintained by Health Canada, the Conference of Principal Investigators (COPI) and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Every other year, several hundred practitioners and stakeholders gather to share scientific information and opportunities for training, skills development and networking.
The Initiative made Canada an internationally recognized leader in CVD prevention, and created a unique platform for health services research which has application to population health and quality of care issues beyond heart health, thus contributing to the goals of health care renewal in Canada.
The goals of the Canadian Heart Health Initiative are as follows:
Health Canada provided technical and policy support to the provincial departments of health. The former National Health Research Development Program (NHRDP) extended research contributions which were matched and indeed exceeded by the provinces. The funding was subject to the following conditions: (1) co-funding by the provincial health departments; (2) approval by a scientific site visit of the protocols for the demonstration projects and the evaluation plan; and (3) implementation of a public health approach.
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is widely prevalent in Canada. What makes the condition an issue of particular concern is that symptoms can be absent even in cases of high blood pressure. This poses a challenge to early diagnosis and long term control. To minimize those suffering from hypertension, public awareness is considered key.
The prevalence, incidence, and strategies to control hypertension were first reported through a working group consisting of federal and provincial representatives in 1984. Based on the recommendations of this working group, the Canadian Coalition for High Blood Pressure Prevention and Control was established in 1985. Its mandate was to prevent and control high blood pressure among Canadians. Many of the stake holders from professional societies, volunteer organizations, and government sectors (including Health Canada) became members of this umbrella organization. A report entitled The Prevention and Control of High Blood Pressure in Canada was published subsequently in 1986.
In December, 1996, it was determined that the Canadian hypertension strategy was in need of reevaluation. A new strategy was to be developed for the next fifteen years with a new perspective on hypertension issues. A new committee was established to evaluate and deal with these issues in February, 1997 and named the National Hypertension Control Strategy Committee (NHCSC).
The objective of NHCSC is to address and improve upon the detection, control, and treatment of hypertension among Canadians. This is done through the examination of several issues. First, the current status of hypertension in Canada, and the status of improvement in hypertension since 1970 is to be reflected upon. Specific areas of concern, such as non-pharmacological therapy and professional education, shall also be evaluated. The setting of strategic direction and policy planning for hypertension control is the mandate of NHCSC.
|
||||||||
