TORONTO, Dec. 12 /CNW/ - The Canadian Women's Health Network (CWHN),
responding to today's report of the federal Standing Committee on Health
Report, urges the Federal Government to act speedily and diligently to ensure
that assisted human reproduction technologies offered to Canadian women are
safe and effective, that such services and research offer specific protections
for women, children and other vulnerable populations, are based on sound
ethical principles, and respect the fundamental rights of all Canadians.

    "We are pleased that the Standing Committee on Health has recognized the
urgency of regulation and legislation in this complex and significant arena,"
says Madeline Boscoe, Executive Director of the CWHN. "We are extremely alarmed
at the increasing bio-industrialization of life by the scientific community and
life sciences companies, and have been very concerned about the rapid
development of these new technologies in a legislative vacuum. It is critical
that evolving practices in this arena be rapidly controlled, not endorsed
merely due to unregulated accessibility".
   
CWHN Co-Chair Dr Abby Lippman, who presented on behalf of CWHN to the
House Standing Committee on Health and made over 30 recommendations(xx) for
amendment of the draft bill, reacted to the Standing Committee's report today:

"CWHN strongly concurs with the Committee's emphasis on the precautionary
principle", that is, the onus to demonstrate, in advance, a lack of harm.
Potential risks to women, children, and vulnerable members of society should be
the overarching concern. We also appreciate the Standing Committee's
recognition that this bill is not a comprehensive code for all reproductive and
genetic technologies, and that the absence of a specific mention in the Bill
today does NOT imply it is thereby an acceptable practice."

    The House Standing Committee on Health, which was asked by Health
Minister Allan Rock in May, 2001 to review the Ministry's draft Assisted Human
Reproduction Act, today released its report to the Minister and the Canadian
public. This is the third proposed piece of federal legislation on the subject
in the past ten years.
--------------------
(xx)For CWHN's specific recommendations on the draft legislation, see
 their website at www.cwhn.ca.

 Interviews: 
    Dr Abby Lippman, CWHN Board Co-Chair; Professor, Department of 
    Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McGill University, ph: 514 398 6266
    Madeline Boscoe, Executive Director, CWHN, ph: 204 942 5500 ext. 11


-30-
For further information: Jean Ann Lowry, CWHN Communications 
Coordinator, (416) 656 1707

Mona Dupré-Ollinik, BSW, BA
Coordonatrice de liaison/Outreach Coordinator
Canadian Women's Health Network/Réseau canadien pour la santé des femmes
419, avenue Graham, Suite 203
Winnipeg (MB) R3C 0M3

Tel: (204) 942-5500 ext,/poste 13
Fax/Télécopieur: (204) 989-2355
Toll free/Numéro sans frais: 1-888-818-9172
www.cwhn.ca 
e-mail/courriel: [log in to unmask]

Send one line: unsubscribe click4hp to: [log in to unmask] to unsubscribe
See: http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/click4hp.html to alter your subscription