Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During my election campaign, I naively thought I would have a hope of getting the NWT SPCA some funding. I am now seeing that that is an impossible task. Instead of asking MACA about this for the tenth time, I am going to take another run at it today through a public health lens. My question for the Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Speaker, is: what is public health's role in monitoring health risks caused by animals? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Member not leaving me out in the questions today. He was able to teach me a new word today, which is "zoonotics." Zoonotics is where viruses and other pathogens can be transmitted from animals or insects to humans, so rabies would be an example of a zoonotic. Public health has a role in monitoring and responding to those risks when they are present in the population, particularly in investigating human illness that may be a result of a jump from an animal to a person, so the focus here is on the person rather than the animal. Thank you.
Today is actually an appropriate day to talk about zoonotics as the first dog in Canada tested positive for COVID-19 today, so there is a bit of an overlap. One of my main concerns in this area and one of the great works that the NWT SPCA does is making sure dogs are vaccinated for rabies and making sure rabies does not then transfer to the human population. Presently, that is not being done in all of the communities. Can the Minister of health put together a plan to make sure we are having rabies vaccines in all of our communities?
It's my understanding that there is a lay vaccination program in the NWT that ensures rabies vaccines for animals are available to communities who do not have a local or resident veterinarian to administer the vaccines themselves. The big challenge here is getting people to administer the vaccine, especially where there aren't veterinarians or other technicians who can do this themselves. I know that there has been some work between Health and Social Services and my colleague at ENR to identify and train individuals to administer those vaccines. I do not have information about how many of those people and in which communities they exist, but that is something I could certainly provide to the Member.
Yes, that is actually the heart of the issue. We presently provide the vaccines, and they are free. Communities can use them. It's difficult to get someone to actually deliver those vaccines, and that is where the NWT SPCA really fills that gap. Another way that has been done is that multiple jurisdictions have hired or contracted a public health veterinarian. I believe we only have three veterinarians operating in the territory right now. Is this an option that public health has reviewed?
I am not aware that the department is looking at hiring a public veterinarian. We would certainly be working with ENR in the event that they are looking at hiring a public veterinarian so that we can work together on making sure that zoonotics do not proliferate in the NWT.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions, Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Presently, ENR has a wildlife veterinarian. They do lots of great work. It's essential work to making sure the population and health of our wildlife is there. I now learn that public health has a bit of a role in zoonotics and MACA seemingly has some of a role but seems to deny it consistently. My question for the Minister of health is: is it possible to work with those departments, see if there are some gaps here, and possibly create a funding pool to address them?
I am certainly willing to have that conversation. Thank you.
