Nine research teams receive a total of $17.7 million
MONTREAL, May 8, 2017 /CNW/ - The physical, social and cultural environments in which we live are critical to our health, development and well-being. All levels of government and organizations in the public and private sectors play a role in contributing to these intersecting factors and how they affect our health in positive or negative ways.
Today, the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, announced an investment of $17.7 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for nine research projects that will seek to improve the health and quality of life of Canadians by examining our environment and building more effective disease prevention and health promotion strategies. The projects bring together more than 200 researchers and partners from different sectors to study how to improve health through innovative research in areas such as urban design, energy production, food production and security, and waste water treatment.
The Minister is currently attending the World Health Summit, which is being hosted by the Université de Montréal (UdeM) and the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM). Researchers from UdeM are leading two of the nine projects.
- Dr. Yan Kestens and his team will study how we can design cities in ways that promote good health, reduce health inequities, and guide sustainable urban development.
- Dr. Lise Gauvin will research how to make built environments more favourable to healthy eating and physical activity
Quotes
"As Minister of Health, I recognize the important role that the environment plays in our health. Taking a whole of society and collaborative approach is the best way to build healthy environments, tackle health inequities, and improve population health in Canada and the world."
Jane Philpott
Minister of Health
"These investments will help ensure Canadians live long and healthy lives through prevention strategies built into our everyday environment. They represent investments in an area that is still very much needed. Canadian public health researchers have much to contribute to the global commitment to improve the health of our population. I congratulate all the researchers receiving funding today and look forward to hearing of their outcomes."
Dr. Steven Hoffman
Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health
"These investments in prevention and research are extremely promising because we know it is in the field of public health that we can have the greatest positive impact on the largest number of our fellow citizens. I congratulate and thank the researchers at our School of Public Health who contribute in this way to bettering the quality of life of all Canadians."
Dr Guy Breton
Rector, University of Montreal
Associated Links
CIHR Environments and Health Signature Initiative
SOURCE Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Andrew MacKendrick, Office of the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; David Coulombe, Media Relations, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 613-941-4563; Louise Tremblay, Media Relations, Université de Montréal, 514-343-6111 (3048)
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