Sask Aboriginal leaders warn reserves not prepared for flu pandemic
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day September 9, 2006
Scientists open a new window on FASD research
Sask Aboriginal leaders warn reserves not prepared for flu pandemic
Aboriginal leaders say Saskatchewan reserves are unprepared for an influenza pandemic.
Delbert Wapass, vice-chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan First Nations, says more funding is needed to equipment communities for disaster.
Nearly half of the 33 reserves in the Northern Intertribal Health Authority do not have any pandemic emergency plan.
Dr. Kim Barker, a public health advisor to the Assembly of First Nations, blames bureaucratic squabbling over jurisdictional issues and resources.
Barker says the lack of clarity puts everyone at risk, as people need to know what to do and who to call in an emergency situation.
Federal funding dedicated to pandemic planning on reserves was made available for the first time last year. Each tribal council received $7,000 and each community an additional $3,000.
``You can't expect communities with a shortage of nurses to suddenly find a full-time, or even part-time, employee to dedicate themselves to pandemic planning,'' said Barker. ``They're already dealing with diabetic epidemics and all sorts of chronic diseases taking up their day.''
The federal government recently set aside $1 billion for pandemic preparedness, but nothing was allocated specifically for First Nation communities, Barker said.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day September 9, 2006
Drinking alcohol while pregnant can cause a number of permanent difficulties that fall under the umbrella term: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). FASD is the leading cause of mental retardation in Canada and the industrialized nations of the world. FASD is not just a "disease of the week" but a major root cause of numerous social disorders, including the homelessness/street kid issue that currently plagues most major cities. People with FASD also are at high risk of learning disabilities, early school drop-out, juvenile delinquency, drug addiction and alcoholism, mental illness, crimes against property, vandalism, child and spousal abuse, unemployment and poverty. Some researchers believe that as many as one in 100 people are affected with fetal alcohol disorders, and each of these individuals can cost the taxpayers $2 million per year for social services.
Why September 9 at 9:09 a.m.? On the ninth minute of the ninth hour of the ninth day of the ninth month, our alliance asks the world to remember that during the nine months of pregnancy, a woman should not drink alcohol. We also want the world to remember those millions of individuals who will not reach their genetic potential because their mothers drank in pregnancy. People around the world are working at getting their local bells to ring at 9:09 a.m.
Various organizations with an interest in FASD issues are supporting the FAS Day program across Canada. Among them are the Lakeland Centre for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in Northeast Alberta who is working to host BreakFASDs in a number of communities. This will be a community breakfast with announcements, bells and activities to raise awareness.
Awareness needs to be raised about the dangers of drinking during pregnancy. Most women of childbearing age do not know what FASD is. More than half of women of childbearing age drink without knowing whether or not they are pregnant. Unborn children who are damaged by prenatal exposure to alcohol can be born with no outward defects, but can have serious behavior and social problems later in life. This disability affects all races and economic levels of society where women drink alcohol. It should be noted that drugs are very harmful to the unborn fetus also but alcohol causes permanent damage.
For more information about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day in your community you can check the Alberta Children Services website: www.child.gov.ab.ca or for more information about the disability at www.lakelandfas.com or call the toll free number at 1.877.594.5454.
Scientists open a new window on FASD research
By Susan Santiago
On September 9th at 9:09 a.m, bells will ring out in churches and chapels from Newfoundland to New Zealand, as a reminder to women, their partners, families and friends -- all of us, in fact -- that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause brain damage to the baby and lead to serious, life-long disabilities. That same day, FASD researchers, front-line workers, policy makers, and parents will meet at the 7th FACE Research Roundtable in Moncton, New Brunswick to compare notes on the state of Canadian FASD research.
FASD stands for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. It is an umbrella term that describes the range of health, developmental, intellectual and social problems that may result from exposure to alcohol before birth. These disorders usually fall into one of three diagnoses: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS); partial-FAS; and Alcohol Related Developmental Disorder (ARND). Individuals with FAS suffer the life-long impact of permanent brain damage, memory problems, hyperactivity, low IQ, impaired social skills, and physical birth defects. Unless they receive appropriate diagnosis and intervention, people with FAS will struggle with learning disabilities, homelessness, trouble with the law, alcohol and drug abuse, and mental health problems.
The signs and symptoms of ARND and partial-FAS may be less obvious than full-blown FAS, but can be equally damaging – especially if these conditions go undiagnosed. Sadly, FASD is under-recognized and under-reported. And though it is preventable, estimates are that 1 in every 100 live births in Canada is affected by fetal alcohol exposure.
FACE stands for Fetal Alcohol Canadian Expertise and represents a network of nearly 200 researchers and others who are actively engaged in finding ways to prevent FASD. When they meet early next month, presenters and delegates at the 7th FACE Research Roundtable will be continuing a time honored tradition of research collaboration – presenting new findings for peer review, describing successful service models, and identifying the next crucial steps towards prevention, intervention and supports.
Since 2000, participants at annual FACE Research Roundtables have been the first to --
- estimate the direct medical and educational costs associated with FASD in Canada at over $344 million dollars each year;
- describe the painful social impact of FASD on an individual’s life;
- discover that by measuring compounds called fatty acid ethyl esters in a baby's first stool you can determine how much alcohol was consumed during pregnancy, and in turn, prompt early diagnosis, treatment for the child and help for the mother;
- develop new diagnostic tools such as saccadic eye movements;
- highlight the role of fathers in the prevention of FASD; and
- develop award-winning programs to help pregnant women who use alcohol overcome their addiction.
This year’s FACE Roundtable also promises much, with speakers presenting new findings on --
- the working memory function of children and adults with FASD;
- prevention programs in native communities in New Brunswick, Ontario and BC; and
- FASD in federal prison populations.
The 2006 FACE Research Roundtable will also highlight what some researchers are referring to as a hopeful new “window of opportunity.” For several years now, scientists have been exploring the extraordinary ability of the neonatal brain to heal even after it has been injured by prenatal exposure to alcohol. They call it brain plasticity. Plasticity, or neuroplasticity, is the ability of the brain to reorganize neural pathways based on new experiences, and change through learning. Though studies in humans are scarce, animal studies (to be summarized at the FACE Roundtable on September 9th) indicate that positive experiences such as exercise may help a child overcome some of the effects of alcohol exposure.
We can beat FASD, just as we have beaten other health disorders –continuing research will play an important part in that success.
The 7th FACE Research Roundtable is sponsored by Health Canada and the Brewers of Canada and will be videotaped for webcast on the internet. Look for it in October 2006 on-line @ www.motherisk.org/JFAS.