COMMUNITY WELLNESS AND SAFETY
Commitment 4.3.5: Reduce the burden of chronic disease by promoting healthy lifestyles and improving screening and management, with specific focus on:
- Promoting healthy eating in NWT communities through a variety of programs including Healthy Family Collective Kitchens and Drop the Pop
- Supporting Healthy Living Fairs in communities
- Increasing awareness and availability of smoking cessation aids
- Standardizing access to cancer screening across the NWT
- Developing improved supports for patients and families battling cancer
- Giving health care providers tools and training to support patients and families in the management of chronic disease such as diabetes
- Developing and proposing updated tobacco control legislation
The Department of Health and Social Services continues to move forward on initiatives aimed at reducing the burden of chronic diseases that affect NWT residents’ quality of life and increase health care costs. The key areas of focus around chronic disease are surveillance, prevention, screening and clinical management.
Work to complete a Chronic Disease Prevention & Management Framework is ongoing in the Department. This framework will aid in the coordination of various activities already underway while also aiding in identifying priorities for further action and investments.
Prevention of chronic disease through education and encouragement continues to be a key activity of the Department. Programs such as Healthy Family Collective Kitchens Drop the Pop and Healthy Living Fairs promote healthy lifestyle choices. Furthermore, the Department will increase awareness and availability of smoking cessation aids taking a strong community approach.
Addressing the burden of cancer, the Department released its first NWT Cancer Strategy in October 2015. The Department also launched the Let’s Talk About Cancer website which includes information on screening and early detection as well as resources for cancer patients and families.
- immunochemical tests (FIT) are simple, take-home tests that are used to screen for colorectal cancer. These tests are made available at local health centres for patients to take home. Healthcare workers have received training on increasing public awareness of colorectal cancer and the importance of FIT screening. Inflatable colon used to illustrate the stages of colorectal cancer and the importance of early detection, as well as FIT kit demos were also provided to healthcare workers.