New research centre to study Canadians most affected by unhealthy
environments.
For immediate release: Winnipeg and Toronto, Canada - March 7, 2011 -- A
new Canadian research centre has been launched to investigate and
respond to the concerns of those most impacted by environmental health
problems in Canada.
The Centre for Environmental Health Equity (www.cehe.ca) is putting its
research agenda into the hands of communities to shine a light on the
often-untold experiences of Canadians who bear the brunt of unhealthy
environments.
While many Canadians feel that the quality of their environment is a top
health concern, some groups face far higher health threats from
environmental burdens that concentrate in particular neighbourhoods or
regions. “Many environmental health challenges such as poor sanitation,
air pollution, a lack of public parks and affordable, healthy food often
cluster within certain communities leading to serious health inequities”
said Dr. Jeff Masuda, Director of the Centre and Assistant Professor at
the University of Manitoba.
“For example, First Nations youth living with asthma and allergies face
more serious health risks than other Canadian youth because they more
often live in homes, neighbourhoods, and communities affected by road
dust, mould, and other allergens. Finding solutions is not simply a
matter of better education, but in identifying the root causes of these
problems” said Masuda.
By working directly within historically disadvantaged communities, the
Centre aims to move research more directly into community-led action
focused on policy change for tangible health improvements for all Canadians.
“We take a very collaborative approach to our work - integrating the
expertise of local communities with the knowledge of researchers from
multiple health and environmental fields in order to explore creative
responses to challenging health problems” said Tara Zupancic, the
Centre’s Associate Director.
The Centre for Environmental Health Equity currently has three major
areas of research; urban health, children’s health and First Nations
health. Funding for the Centre has been provided by the Canadian
Institutes of Health Research.
For more information contact:
Tara Zupancic,
Associate Director, Centre for Environmental Health Equity
[log in to unmask],
416.550.1189 or 416.201.0531
www.cehe.ca
Dr. Masuda is available for an interview. Please contact him at:
[log in to unmask] or (204) 960-9729
To manage subscriptions/passwords, or view archives, go to http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/click4hp.html . [log in to unmask] is run in collaboration with Health Nexus: http://www.healthnexus.ca/index_eng.php
|