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April 29, 2016 – Location: J.K. Edwards Board Room, Peterborough Public Health, Jackson Square, 185 King St., Third Floor

 Media and the community are advised that the Board of Health will meet on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 5:30 p.m.

Guests are asked to use the buzzer located on the wall to the right of the main front doors to alert Public Health staff when they are ready to enter the building.  The board room is located on the third floor of Jackson Square, 185 King St. Free parking is available after 6 p.m. on the street or across the road at the King St. Parkade.

To download the agenda and the online board package, please visit:

http://www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca/about-us/about-us-2/board-of-health/meeting-agendas

The meeting is open to the community and members of the media.

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For further information, please contact:

Brittany Cadence
Communications Manager
705-743-1000, ext. 391

April 26, 2016 – The Peterborough Public Health is teaming up with local veterinarians to help combat rabies. On Saturday, May 14 from 12 noon until 2:00 p.m., there will be multiple clinics running across the County and City to help protect your pets against the disease. These vaccinations are low-cost at $25 per pet, cash only.  Dogs must be leashed and cats caged or restrained.

Provincial law requires that all cats and dogs over three months of age in Peterborough City and County must be vaccinated for rabies. Vaccinations protect pets from rabies and help protect your family if your pet is bitten by a rabid wild animal.

“We hope that the community will take advantage of these low-cost rabies clinics, which are being set up at multiple sites across the County and City,” said Atul Jain, Manager of Environmental Health, who oversees the rabies prevention and control program for Public Health. “Not only is vaccinating your cats and dogs the law, but it is the easiest way to protect your pets and family from rabies. While it’s rare, when humans develop rabies from infected animals it is almost 100% fatal.”

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has significantly reduced the number of wildlife rabies cases in Ontario through its Rabies Control Program. However, as of March 31, 2016, there have already been 76 confirmed cases of fox and raccoon strain rabies in Ontario in 2016. Pet vaccination and the provincial baiting program are still required to keep rabies at bay for the protection of Ontario families.

Rabies is a deadly disease of the central nervous system that affects humans and other mammals. The virus is concentrated in the saliva of a rabid animal and can spread through a bite, cut or scratch, or if the saliva comes in contact with the moist tissues of the mouth, nose or eyes. There is no known treatment for rabies once the symptoms appear.  The disease cannot be treated, but it can be prevented through vaccination.

For more information about the low-cost rabies clinics or to find a clinic location near you, please visit www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca and click on Rabies Clinics or call Peterborough Public Health at 705-743-1000, ext. 232.

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For further information, please contact:

Atul Jain, Manager, Environmental Health
705-743-1000, ext. 259

Friday, May 13th, 2016
8:00 am – 3:30 pm

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Help Improve Your Child’s Listening and Talking Skills

Thursday, May 12th, 7:00-9:00
McDonnell Activity Centre

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April 22, 2016 – New Health Promotion Campaign to Launch April 23

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A youth-led initiative from Peterborough Public Health called “Small Butts, Big Problem” kicks off on Earth Day today in the hopes of mobilizing the community around the contentious issue of cigarette butt littering.

“The Kawarthas are renowned for having some of the most beautiful and natural environments around, but the pollution created by the tobacco industry poses real concerns for wildlife,” said Adam Barnfather, one of Public Health’s Peer Leaders who designed the campaign.  “Not only do cigarette butts destroy the beauty of our urban and rural environments, they contain over 4,000 chemicals, 43 of which are known carcinogens.”

Barnfather noted these chemicals eventually make their way into the ecosystem as part of the 8,000 tons of cigarette butts that Canadians litter every year. These chemicals have been shown to harm the reproductive systems of fish, and even be lethal to aquatic wildlife under certain conditions.

The Peer Leaders have partnered with Peterborough GreenUp, the Peterborough DBIA, and the City of Peterborough to tackle this issue on several fronts. To kick things off, they are hosting a series of volunteer butt pickups on Saturday, April 23 targeting 3 different areas downtown.  Everyone is invited to participate in cleaning up the downtown by meeting them at the corner of George and Simcoe streets on April 23 at 10 a.m., 12 noon, and 2 p.m.

The group plans to raise awareness and educate the community by participating in various events such as the National Youth Week, Farmer’s Markets, Peterborough Children’s Water Festival, Peterborough Folk Festival, and Peterborough Pulse among others. They will also bring displays and activities to locations throughout the city and county, including Camp Kawartha, Warsaw Caves, downtown bus terminal, and local beaches.

Screen Shot 04-22-16 at 11.21 AM“We hope that people will realize that a small butt contributes to a very big problem and choose to discard their cigarette butt safely,” said Miranda Doris, another PCCHU Peer Leader involved in the campaign. Everyone is encouraged to follow the campaign’s official Twitter page @SBBP_Ptbo to find out where it will be next.

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For further information, please contact:
Katherine Morin
Youth Development Worker
705-743-1000, ext. 321

April 21, 2016 – Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health for Peterborough Public Health is applauding today’s announcement by Health Minister Eric Hoskins to expand access of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to boys in Grade 7 starting September 2016. The HPV vaccine is the only way to prevent HPV infections that lead to different types of cancers in both males and females.

“HPV-cancers in men have been on the increase in Canada and elsewhere – and immunization of males has been recommended by our National Advisory Committee on Immunization since 2015,” said Dr. Salvaterra. “The decision to make the vaccine available to all Grade 7 students starting in September, regardless of sex, is a step forward for public health in Ontario. We welcome Minister Hoskins’ announcement as good news for parents and for all of our youth who will benefit from this decision.”

Dr. Salvaterra noted that in 2015, just over 52% of Grade 8 girls in our jurisdiction were fully immunized against HPV disease. “By moving the vaccine earlier to Grade 7, I hope to see these rates increase so that more of our children receive the benefit of this cancer-preventing vaccine,” she said.

With rates of HPV-related cancers in males on the rise, expanding access to the HPV vaccine for boys will only help continue to reduce the rates of HPV locally. According to Dr. Salvaterra, “We’ve already seen the benefits of HPV immunization here in Peterborough. We are seeing far fewer clients coming to our Sexual Health Clinics for treatment of genital warts. In the past, we had a dedicated weekly clinic for the treatment of HPV disease – we’ve been able to cancel that now that at least half of our female population is benefiting from the Gardasil vaccine.”

HPV is the name for the group of viruses that affect the skin and moist membrane parts of the body. There are over 100 different strains of HPV, with over 40 types associated with sexual transmission. Approximately 3 out of 4 sexually active Canadians will be infected with HPV at some time in their lifetime. An HPV infection causes genital warts, abnormal cell growth and can even lead to different types of cancers (cervical, penile and anal). Types of HPV (HPV-16 and HPV-18), classified as “high-risk” are responsible for 70% of all cervical cancers in women and 90% of anal cancers in men.

For more information about the Ontario HPV Vaccination Program, call ServiceOntario INFOline at 1-866-559-4598 or contact Peterborough Public Health at 705-743-1000, ext. 131.

The Peterborough County- City Public Health serves all residents in the City and County of Peterborough, and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations. Please note on June 1, 2016, the agency will change its name to Peterborough Public Health and will continue to deliver the same public health programs and services throughout the community.

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For further information, please contact:
Brittany Cadence
Communications Manager
705-743-1000, ext. 391

 

April 19, 2016 – 100 + people attended the Central East Physical Literacy Summit:  “Physical Literacy for Lifelong Participation”

 The Central East Physical Literacy Project hosted its first Summit “Physical Literacy for Lifelong Participation” this past weekend at the Holiday Inn. Over 100 participants came together to learn, network and strategize to raise awareness about the importance of getting the residents of Peterborough participating in physical activity across the lifespan.

 “Literacy has provided us with knowledge and now physical literacy can convert that knowledge into action. The seeds of a healthy lifestyle were sown at the Summit,” said Dr. Dean Kriellaars, Canada’s renowned physical literacy researcher and advocate from the University of Manitoba. “I was struck by the level of engagement of the participants; they were inspired and motivated to be the change makers in their communities by becoming physical literacy champions.” Dr. Kriellaars was joined byScreen Shot 04-19-16 at 02.23 PM Brandy Tanenbaum, co-lead of the Play Safe Initiative from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre to deliver keynote addresses.

The Summit also provided an opportunity for representatives from differentorganizations to come together for the first time to discuss physical literacy. “It was great to see representation at the summit from several sectors including sport, recreation, education, early child care and health, come together to be the catalyst to make change in the community to learn how to provide quality physical literacy instruction and recreational opportunities for children and people of all ages,” said Claire Townshend, Healthy Kids Community Challenge Coordinator.

The Central East Physical Literacy Summit was one initiative of the Central East Physical Literacy Project that was formed as a collaborative of agencies including: Peterborough Public Health, the YMCA of Central East Ontario,

the City of Peterborough, the Peterborough Healthy Kids Community Challenge, Girls and Boys Club of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Public Health, Kawartha Lakes Sport and Recreation Council, Northumberland Sports Council and Trillium Lakelands District School Board. The Central East Physical Literacy Project aims to engage leaders in sport, recreation, health, education, and municipal government in order to provide education and training that will foster communities where residents are active for life.  Funding for the Summit was provided in part by the Government of Ontario and RBC Learn to Play Project grant, with the goal to help children develop the confidence and skills they need to enable them to play, and become happy, healthy and active for life.

“Physical literacy is the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life.” – International Physical Literacy Association

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For further information, please contact:

Claire Townshend

Healthy Kids Community Challenge Project Coordinator

Peterborough Public Health

705-743-1000 ext. 355

April 19, 2016 – 200+ Community Members Test Their Organizations’ Response to Mock Influenza Pandemic Emergency

More than 230 representatives from organizations across the City and County of Peterborough and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations came together today to practice how they would protect the community the next time there is an influenza pandemic.

“Today’s exercise was a great success and allowed many sectors of our community to work together to improve their pandemic plans,” said Edwina Dusome, Manager of Infectious Disease Programs at Peterborough Public Health and Chair of the Interagency Pandemic Preparedness Committee.  “Now participants can take everything they’ve learned so we can address gaps in the community’s emergency response in order to minimize the impact the next time we experience a pandemic virus.”

Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health, kicked off the session with an overview of what public health agencies learned the last time there was a pandemic when the novel H1N1 influenza virus started spreading globally in 2009.  “In Canada, there was considerable variation in the timing and intensity of pandemic waves, especially the first wave, across the country.  Greater impact was seen in pregnant women and Aboriginal Peoples, and persons with morbid obesity were newly recognized as being at high risk for complications,” she said.

Dr. Salvaterra also noted during H1N1 that there were logistical and communication challenges regarding the delivery of vaccine and changing recommendations about priority groups.  On the positive side, previous planning efforts similar to today’s exercise and relationship-building led to unprecedented collaboration among healthcare providers and community organizations.

“The Peterborough area was heralded for its strong partnerships that allowed for the H1N1 vaccine to get into as many arms as possible through community and school-based clinics,” said Dr. Salvaterra.  “This is why today’s exercise is so important, so we can stay nimble and foster interagency relationships so our response is equally as effective when – not if – the next pandemic hits.”

To find out more about pandemic planning, and what organizations and individuals can do to prepare, please visit www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca and click on “My Home & Environment” and then under “My Community” click on the link for “Pandemic Planning”.

 

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For further information, please contact:
Brittany Cadence
Communications Manager
705-743-1000, ext. 391

 

April 15, 2016 – To view the meeting summary from the April 13 Board of Health Meeting click the image below
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April 8, 2016 – Location: J.K. Edwards Board Room, Peterborough Public Health,
Jackson Square, 185 King St., Third Floor

Media and the community are advised that the Board of Health will meet on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 5:30 p.m.

Guests are asked to use the buzzer located on the wall to the right of the main front doors to alert Public Health staff when they are ready to enter the building. The board room is located on the third floor of Jackson Square, 185 King St. Free parking is available after 6 p.m. on the street or across the road at the King St. Parkade.

To download the agenda and the online board package, please visit:
http://www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca/about-us/about-us-2/board-of-health/meeting-agendas

The meeting is open to the community and members of the media.

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For further information, please contact:
Brittany Cadence
Communications Manager
705-743-1000, ext. 391