Harper Government Supports Health Care Innovation in Ontario

Single-Largest Investor in Canadian Health Innovation

TORONTO, July 20, 2012 /CNW/ - Bernard Trottier, Member of Parliament for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, visited with researchers at Cancer Care Ontario today where he highlighted how federal investments are helping strengthen healthcare across the country. MP Trottier joined other members of the Harper Government who made similar visits with health researchers across the country.

"Our Government is proud to support the outstanding health researchers at Cancer Care Ontario," said MP Trottier. "I was delighted to meet these researchers and find out how their work is helping to improve the health of people in Ontario and across Canada."

There are more than 10,000 health research projects underway in Canada right now that receive Harper Government funding. Some recent initiatives announced include:

• Pathways to Health Equity for Aboriginal Peoples, in which researchers will partner with aboriginal communities to carry out initiatives linked to suicide reduction and other key health priorities;
• Funding 13 projects to improve the efficiency of front-line healthcare delivery, whose results will be available for provincial and territorial governments to use to strengthen their systems; and
• Funding for a national transplantation research program.

MP Trottier met with Dr. Anna Chiarelli who is studying the benefits of digital compared to screen film mammography.

Federal support for health research primarily flows through its health research investment agency - the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). CIHR supports the best in peer-reviewed health research with the vision of creating a healthier future for Canadians.

"Canadian health researchers across all research disciplines and themes continue to have significant impact on the country's international scientific excellence and competitiveness," said Dr. Alain Beaudet, President of CIHR. "At CIHR, we prize the many achievements and contributions our researchers make to resolving pressing health challenges and to improving the health outcomes of patients and supporting a robust and sustainable health care system."

Since 2006-05, the Government has invested $2.2 billion in health research in Ontario through CIHR.

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David Coulombe, CIHR Media Relations, 613-941-4563, [email protected]