September 12, 2014
Toronto, Ontario
Check Against Delivery
Thank you for your kind introduction.
Our brains are complex, multi-faceted organs that serve as the center of our nervous systems. They control our thoughts, movements, memories, and decisions.
One in three Canadians will face a neurological disorder, injury or psychiatric disease in their lifetime.
These conditions can affect people of all ages, educational and income levels, and cultures and can be very difficult for patients and their families.
Our Government recognizes the very real impact that neurological conditions, including dementia, have on Canadian families and is dedicated to helping increase our understanding of how the human brain works and how to best protect it.
Dementia costs billions to our healthcare system and its burden on caregivers is immeasurable.
This is something our Government understands and under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper we are taking a number of measures to respond.
We made a commitment to strengthen our investments in dementia research. Last year I, along with my G7 counterparts made a commitment to increase our research efforts globally and find a cure for dementia by 2025.
Earlier this week, I announced a number of new initiatives that illustrate the Government of Canada’s commitment to our fight against dementia.
In Montreal, I launched the transformative national initiative to fight dementia of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging, or CCNA.
The Consortium brings together over 340 of Canada’s top researchers, as well as 14 different partners, in both the public and private sectors, to support this collaborative research initiative.
Canada and France are currently co-hosting a very successful global legacy event in Ottawa. The Canada-France event explores ways on how to increase international partnerships between industry and academia as partnerships are critical to success.
While there yesterday, I announced the completion of the National Population Health Study of Neurological Conditions, the most comprehensive study of neurological conditions ever to be conducted in Canada.
The report will help guide decisions about future initiatives to address the burden of dementia.
I also made the announcement that the Government of Canada is working with the Alzheimer Society of Canada, to bring a successful community-based program called Dementia Friends to Canada. We believe Dementia Friends will help Canadians become better informed about how they can support people living with dementia in their communities.
I was also very pleased yesterday to highlight the release of the National Dementia Research and Prevention Plan, that showcases the Government of Canada’s investments, partnerships, key initiatives in research, prevention and improving the standards of care to reduce the burden on families.
Under the leadership of our Prime Minister, we have invested over $861 million in neuroscience research since 2006.
In 2011, we committed $100 million to establish the Canada Brain Research Fund. This fund is built on a public-private model which matches private donations raised by Brain Canada dollar-for-dollar with federal funding. This means that all private contributions up to $100 million are essentially doubled.
The Fund supports the very best Canadian neuroscience research and accelerates discoveries to improve the health and quality of life for Canadians who suffer from brain disease and mental disorders.
Through this innovative partnership with Brain Canada, we are working with leading experts in the field of health research to bridge the gap between research and action.
Leveraging investments in this way allows us to advance research on a number of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and mental illness at a much faster pace.
I am thrilled to be with you here at St. Michael’s Hospital to announce 32 new neurological research projects under this unique partnership with Brain Canada. This represents an investment of $51.4 million over three years – half from private donors and half from the Government of Canada.
These projects are looking at key areas to benefit Canadians, whether it’s working to develop more effective treatment for autism and schizophrenia or improving care for people with spinal cord injuries.
These projects will explore different neurological conditions and also establish shared technological resources to better connect medical professionals from coast to coast to coast.
The grants will support exceptional teams from leading research institutions across our country, from UBC to McGill to right here at St. Mike’s.
Researchers will be looking at diseases and disorders that, unfortunately, affect millions of Canadians. The impact of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries, is felt by not only patients, but also their families and the community at large.
By investing in projects such as the ones announced today, we are striving to get a better understanding of what causes these conditions, how they might be treated, and how they might be prevented – ultimately to help Canadians and their families.
These are significant investments which will yield important results in the field of neurological research. Through these investments, Canada continues to show international leadership in this field.
At the forefront of all of the work we do and investments we make we must remember to focus on the people, their families and caregivers.
I am proud of the partnerships we have fostered that are connecting experts from government, academia, NGOs, businesses and the health sector. These partnerships allow us to each bring our unique strengths and perspectives to address issues that touch all of our lives.
I’d like thank all the donors for their generous contributions; this simply wouldn’t be possible without your support. Thank you also to St. Michael’s Hospital for hosting us this morning, and congratulations to all of today’s recipients!
I look forward to meeting and speaking with many of you.
Thanks.
Source:: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=884919
