March 13, 2019 – Board of Health Meeting Summary
Written by Communications, March 18, 2019
Weekly Influenza Report – An Example of Public Health Surveillance
Epidemiologist Mohamed Kharbouch presented his work developing a weekly influenza report for health care providers. It provides a snapshot of the influenza season by comparing the weekly variation in three local indicators. These indicators include the number of laboratory-confirmed influenza cases, the number of institutions in outbreak and the number of emergency department visits with patients presenting with influenza-like illness. This information helps health care providers quickly track the progress of the annual influenza epidemic and in some cases, determine whether anti-virals may be an appropriate course of treatment. The reports can be found on www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca by clicking on For Professionals/Health Professionals. All local health care providers are encouraged to sign up to receive the weekly bulletin via email by clicking here.
Summary of PPH’s 2019 Annual Service Plan
As part of the 2019 Annual Service Plan (ASP) submission, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care provides an opportunity for boards of health to identify additional base and one-time funding requests to address requirements under the new Ontario Public Health Standards. These may or may not translate into additional provincial resources. Peterborough Public Health’s ASP submission included a base funding request of $784,157 which reflects the amount required from the Ministry to meet the 75% to 25%, provincial: local funding ratio. In addition, a request of $507,195 for one-time projects was included. The Board of Health approved the additional “one-time” and increased base funding requests in the amount of $1,375,352.
Cannabis Use in Public Spaces
The Smoke-Free Ontario Act (SFOA) currently prohibits smoking of cannabis in enclosed public places and workplaces, and on hospital grounds, patios, school property, children’s playgrounds, recreational facilities or in a car or other motor vehicle if anyone inside is age 15 years or younger. Some research suggests that while restricting the smoking of cannabis in public places is important, this may have pitfalls such as driving more cannabis smoking indoors making it difficult to create and sustain smoke-free homes. The initial draft of the amended SFOA was written to prohibit cannabis smoking in all public spaces however this was changed to allow for cannabis to be used in the same spaces as commercial tobacco. This approach simplifies communication and enforcement of the legislation. The City of Peterborough and some local lower tier municipalities are in the process of enhancing or developing bylaws to further protect residents from secondhand cannabis smoke and align the restrictions on cannabis smoking to already enhanced restrictions on commercial tobacco smoking. To date, Peterborough Public Health (PPH) has not received any complaints nor laid any charges related to smoking cannabis in public spaces. PPH staff continue to monitor provincial trends and best practices with regards to secondhand smoke exposure.
Food Insecurity and Bill 60
Bill 60 was recently tabled at Queen’s Park and calls for the creation of Social Assistance Research Committee that should include individuals with specific expertise in the economic and financial challenges faced by Aboriginal individuals and those living with disabilities in Ontario. Bill 60 also will define regions of Ontario based on economic geography and the cost of living in different parts of Ontario and for each region. The result will be recommended rates of provincial social assistance based on basic necessities including nutritious food basket costs, shelter, basic transportation, telephone service, internet access, clothing, personal needs items (i.e., personal hygiene products), household cleaning supplies, items and services related to the educational and recreation needs of children, etc. The Board of Health supports this pending legislation and will communicate this to Premier Ford, with copies to Ministers Elliott and McLeod, local MPPs, the Association of Local Public Health Agencies and Ontario Boards of Health.
Next Meeting:
The Board of Health meets next on Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at 5:30 p.m. in the J.K. Edwards Board Room, third floor, 185 King St., Peterborough, Ontario.
A list of Board of Health meeting dates and locations for 2019 can be found here.