Harper Government Supports Health Care Innovation in New Brunswick

Single-Largest Investor in Canadian Health Innovation

FREDERICTON, July 20, 2012 /CNW/ - The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, visited with a researcher at the University of New Brunswick today where he highlighted how federal investments are helping strengthen healthcare across the country.  Minister Ashfield joined other members of the Harper Government who made similar visits with health researchers across the country.

"Our Government is proud to support the outstanding health researchers at the University of New Brunswick," said Minister Ashfield. "I was delighted to meet this researcher, Dr. Chris McGibbon, and find out his work is helping to improve the health of people in New Brunswick and across Canada."

There are more than 10,000 health research projects underway in Canada right now that receive Harper Government funding. Some recent initiatives announced include:

• Pathways to Health Equity for Aboriginal Peoples, in which researchers will partner with aboriginal communities to carry out initiatives linked to suicide reduction and other key health priorities;
• Funding 13 projects to improve the efficiency of front-line healthcare delivery, whose results will be available for provincial and territorial governments to use to strengthen their systems; and
• Funding for a national transplantation research program.

Minister Ashfield met with Dr. Chris McGibbon, a CIHR-funded researcher at the University of New Brunswick.  Through his research, Dr. McGibbon is seeking to create better knee prostheses for amputees.

"Through the generous support from CIHR and other federal and provincial agencies, my research team is able to conduct high quality research aimed at improving rehabilitation and assistive technologies for persons with lower-extremity amputation or other diseases or injuries that affect mobility," said Dr. McGibbon.

"This state-of-the art research facility in the magnificent RJ Currie Centre will allow UNB researchers to expand their international collaborative research and to extend their partnerships with health care providers throughout Atlantic Canada," said Greg Kealey, UNB Vice-President of Research.

Federal support for health research primarily flows through its health research investment agency - the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). CIHR supports the best in peer-reviewed health research with the vision of creating a healthier future for Canadians.

"Canadian health researchers across all research disciplines and themes continue to have a significant impact on the country's international scientific excellence and competitiveness," said Dr. Alain Beaudet, President of CIHR. "At CIHR, we prize the many achievements and contributions our researchers make to resolving pressing health challenges and to improving the health outcomes of patients and supporting a robust and sustainable health care system."

Since 2005-06, the Government has invested over $7 million in health research in New Brunswick through CIHR.

David Coulombe, CIHR Media Relations, 613-941-4563
Greg Carriere, Communications, UNB, 506-453-4546
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