INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONTROL

Tuberculosis – The TB team continues to screen close to 60 clients per week through the School Screening program.  A health care provider has been diagnosed with active TB (extra pulmonary).  This individual is multi-drug resistant to a number of TB medications.  Therefore, the client is being treated at West Park Hospital in Toronto by a team of experts on multi-drug resistant TB.  Test results to determine if the client has pulmonary TB are still pending.  The client’s family members are now being assessed in Toronto.

Vaccine Preventable – The Health Unit has received a total of 79,000 doses of flu vaccine to date.   Local physicians have received 40% of the total order.  Hopefully, all orders will be completed with the next shipment of vaccine.  The Health Unit’s community clinics are scheduled to start on November 16, 2006 at the Essex Retiree’s Social Club in Essex.  Contract nurses have been hired to implement these clinics.  Due to the late arrival of the vaccine, 23 clinics are scheduled.  Clinics will be held in Leamington, Kingsville, Harrow, Emeryville, Tecumseh, Amherstburg, LaSalle, Essex and Windsor.  Most of the clinics are scheduled between 2:00-8:00 pm to ensure every resident has access to the flu vaccine.  Remaining team members continue to visit schools and administer meningitis vaccine and hepatitis B vaccine to grade 7 students.

Infectious Disease – A number of team members are receiving orientation to the iPHIS computer program.  It is a data program that notifies the Ministry of all clients diagnosed with reportable diseases.  Along with their regular duties, the team is also updating a number of their resources.

 HEALTH INSPECTION

The West Nile virus program is completed for 2006.  Of the 10 birds submitted for testing, five were confirmed positive (12 in 2005).  In addition, 14 positive mosquito pools were reported this year (30 in 2005).  Windsor-Essex County had six positive human cases this year (23 cases in 2005).  The West Nile 2006 report is now being completed.  The Health Unit continues to pick-up birds for avian influenza testing.

All beach testing has been completed with 536 tests completed on nine public beaches over 14 weeks.  During 2006, 31 beaches were posted (42 in 2005) along with four ordered closed (4 in 2005).

Packages are being sent out to operators of special events that are exempt from the Food Premises Regulations to assist and educate them in operating a safe and successful event.

Health Inspection team members have investigated 610 animal bites to date this year for the purpose of rabies control.

CLINIC SERVICES

Sexual Health Clinic – Clinic stats show a slight increase in the number of clients seen in the Sexual Health Clinic so far this year as compared to last year.  In addition, the incidence of chlamydia remains constant in the community.  Syphilis cases include follow-up of new cases of less than one year duration and syphilis greater than one year duration. This number includes medical surveillance for new immigrants.

Travel Clinic – The Travel clinic saw a total of 661 clients in the first three quarters of 2006.  This number reflects new and return clients and also those who attend the clinic for yellow fever vaccine. This vaccine has been provided to 106 clients so far this year.

Dental Program – Dental teams have completed dental screening in 14 schools so far this school year with 2,414 children involved in the screening.  In addition, 144 children met the eligibility criteria for the Children in Need of Treatment (CINOT) program.  Eligibility for CINOT is based on four criteria which all must be met to qualify for the program.

1. Ontario Resident Criteria: The child must be a resident of Ontario and must possess a valid Ontario Health Card Number.
2. Age/Grade Criteria: Children who are up to and including age 13 years or the last day of the Grade 8 school year (whichever is later).
3. Dental Criteria: Those children with dental conditions requiring emergency or essential care.
4. Financial Criteria: Families have no dental insurance or other form of coverage. The parents/guardians must sign a written declaration stating that they have no dental insurance and the cost of dental treatment for their child would result in financial hardship to the family.

Provision of the CINOT program is a requirement under the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s Mandatory Health Programs and Services Guidelines under the Health Protection and Promotion Act.

Chronic Diseases and Injury Prevention

Tobacco Program

Enforcement - The month of November was full of some ground breaking work in the area of tobacco enforcement.  The Health Unit has created a partnership with the Tobacco Tax Branch of the Ministry of Finance to conduct joint enforcement visits in Windsor-Essex.  The partnership began with a show and tell presentation by officers of the Ministry of Finance, which detailed the various types of contraband and counterfeit tobacco product that has been found in Windsor-Essex.  For those in attendance, the presentation was an eye-opening look into the severity of this issue in our community. Following this, teams of two, one from each group, were partnered to perform visits to a number of the tobacco retailers in our area over a four-day period.  In order to ensure that each enforcement agency was able to perform their jobs to the best of their abilities, joint procedures and protocols were established and agreed to.  The preliminary results from this enforcement blitz are as follows:

• 22 charges and 13 Notices of Violations issued by WECHU; and,
• 12 incidents of seizure of illegal tobacco by the Ministry of Finance resulting in approximately $15,000 in tax assessments

More joint visits are planned for the coming weeks as we continue to strive towards reducing the availability of cheap illegal tobacco in our community.

On November 6 and 7, a number of Health Unit Management and Tobacco Enforcement staff attended the Provincial Tobacco Enforcement Conference hosted by the Ministry of Health Promotion and the PTCC.  Dr. Sheela Basrur was the keynote speaker.  Other speakers spoke on a variety of hot items in tobacco enforcement.  The conference provided an excellent opportunity to get clarification on some of the unclear issues regarding interpretation and enforcement of the Smoke Free Ontario Act.  In addition, networking with other enforcement officers from across the province was a valuable experience for our enforcement officers.

Since the onset of the Smoke Free Ontario Act, WECHU has laid approximately 75 charges.

Cessation - As we move into the colder weather, more and more people in Windsor-Essex are expressing an interest in quitting smoking.  Through our workplace cessation project we have continued to offer support to workplaces interested in cessation related areas including the delivery of lunch and learn presentations to staff, participation in health fairs, or workplace consultations to discuss the options around supporting employees who are interested in quitting.  We are currently in the development phase of a Brief Intervention Training Binder that will be made available to workplaces in Windsor-Essex County, to support them in working their employees who smoke to help them quit for good.  Ministry of Health Promotion funding for this project will not continue beyond December 06.

Physical Activity

Pawsitive Steps Towards Health - The 5^th annual Walk the Dog and Win contest has now ended, and the draw for winners took place November 7, 2006.  A total of 119 completed ballots were received.  Over 200 ballots were received in total, but approximately 80 were incomplete.  There were 115 individuals who subscribed to the e-newsletter, which was sent out four times during the contest period.  The grand prize winner received a $150 gift card to PetSmart and a $150 gift card to Sportchek, along with other prizes.  Seven alternate prizes were donated from local businesses and corporate institutions and were awarded to winning participants.  Evaluation results from this project will be available by the end of the year.

Municipal Election Candidate Survey - Working with the Windsor-Essex County Active Living Coalition (WECALC), a total of 42 completed Active Transportation surveys were received out of the 158 that were mailed out to all current City and County council members and City and County council hopefuls.  This 22-question survey was created to determine the value our community leaders place on infrastructure such as sidewalks, trails, bicycle parking, and recreation opportunities.  The responses are currently being reviewed.  A summary report will be created and provided to those individuals who requested the results.  The survey responses will be used strategically by WECALC to help Windsor and Essex County become a place where the physical environment encourages and supports active transportation and recreational physical activity. 

Respectfully submitted,

Deb Bennett, Director