Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m going to follow up to my Member’s statement, in terms of stem cell donor campaigns and awareness. I want to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services if the Minister is familiar with this program, and if so, is his department currently doing any type of programs that are similar in the Northwest Territories that they’re doing in other jurisdictions throughout Canada?
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In March 2011, at the provincial/territorial/federal Ministers’ meetings, the Ministers announced that they would jointly put $48 million into stem cell research. The NWT is included in that research and will benefit from it as well.
I had asked the Minister about questions in terms of the awareness campaign. Up until last year when I went to the booth, I didn’t really know too much about it, and I did a lot of work in the health promotion area.
Once again, I’d like to ask the Minister if there are any programs that offer education and awareness in the Northwest Territories to the residents of the Northwest Territories that make them understand about the cheek swabs and getting into the database, and becoming a donor for the stem cell bone marrow transplant donor list.
Although you can donate anywhere in Canada, the NWT government does not specifically have a program dedicated to stem cell. However, we have advised the authorities and have shared information with the authorities, that should somebody in the authorities and within their various authorities across the Territories want to donate stem cells, then they have that ability to do so, and we provided that information. As far as an awareness campaign to the general public, we haven’t done anything on that at this time.
Obviously, there are organizations in the Northwest Territories who are giving this type of awareness campaign. Would the Minister and his department commit to supporting these organizations, finding out who these organizations are and supporting them either financially or through human resources to get this education out to people of the Northwest Territories, so that should one of our residents need this type of donor request, that it’s there for them? Will the Minister commit to offering that support?
Yes, we would commit to supporting and creating awareness with the organizations across the Territories working on trying to get the message out to people on stem cell research.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In terms of one of the biggest, I guess, advocates for this type of research is the Canadian Blood Services out of Alberta. I’m asking for another commitment here from the Minister.
Would the Minister contact their office and get information about awareness campaigns, education materials, and look at developing a more comprehensive plan focused on partnership with the Canadian Blood Services to deliver this comprehensive plan to the residents of the Northwest Territories?
The bank is managed and established by the Canadian Blood Services. If we are going to proceed with any campaign or any programs, it would be working with the Canadian Blood Services.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
