Health Canada cuts funding for National Aboriginal Health Organization forcing closure by June, 2012
Announcement
The National Aboriginal Health Organization's (NAHO) funding has been cut by Health Canada. It is with sadness that NAHO will wind down by June 30,2012.
NAHO has been in operation for 12 years with all of its funding coming from the Federal government. NAHO employs over 30 specialists in health care research and has holdings of over $60 million in knowledge-based research to improve the health outcomes of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples, which include:
• Over 200 health reports, guides and fact sheets
• Rare video footage and audio tapes of Aboriginal Elders' indigenous knowledge
• The only public available databases on Metis health
• 12 issues of the Journal of Aboriginal Health
• Thousands of copies of research files and holdings
Over the next two months NAHO will be negotiating universities and health research institutions to take over the care of these invaluable intellectual holdings.
In addition to its staff, one of NAHO's greatest assets is its web site. When you Google Aboriginal health, NAHO comes up as one of the leading health information sources in the world. Last year, there were over 640,000 downloads of publications from the NAHO web site, and we mailed out close to 250,000 publications to health care providers, communities and individuals. The web site is used by healthcare providers, researchers, government, and the public.
NAHO has over 50 active partnerships and collaborations with health care Organizations. Some of these collaborations include, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, Kids Help Phone, Canadian Institute for Health Information, Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada, and Health Council of Canada.
Thank you to NAHO's staff, partners and supporters for your contributions over the years. It is comforting to know that there are people and organizations that will carry on NAHO's work to advance the health of First Nations, Inuit and Metis.
For further information:
Trevor Eggleton
A/Manager, Communications
220 Laurier Ave. W .
Ottawa, ON K1P5Z9
Tel: 613-237-9462
Toll free: 1-877-602-4445