Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, has released the following statement on Public Health Week, April 8-12, 2024:

“Public Health Week is a time to recognize the contributions of public-health professionals in B.C. who work tirelessly to support people and communities in achieving their best health and well-being. The theme for this year is Public Health Matters.

“I want to start by recognizing Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer and her team, as well as the public-health professionals at the BC Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and regional health authorities. Through unprecedented challenges and multiple public-health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, toxic-drug crisis, the impact of anti-Indigenous racism and climate emergencies, they continue to provide the essential leadership and guidance that keep us and the communities we live in safe.

“We continue to be proactive in addressing these challenges, as well as to support the needs of people in B.C. through addressing racism in all our work, such as health promotion, health protection, disease and injury prevention, population health assessment and surveillance, and public-health emergency management, to help people in B.C. take care of their mental, physical and emotional health.

“For example, earlier this year, we launched a provincewide self-screening program to help more people self-screen for the human papillomavirus known as HPV, which is the leading cause of cervical cancer. This new self-screening program offers opportunities to improve access to a network of well-trained and compassionate medical professionals.

“There has also been exceptional work in public-health programs and services, epidemiology, research and collaboration with other partners provincially, nationally and internationally through which B.C. is showing leadership and innovation, and demonstrating success.

“I also want to commend the leadership of public-health professionals, who, in the face of the continued toxic-drug crisis, continue to work toward finding solutions and connecting people to care when they’re ready.

“On behalf of the provincial government, I extend appreciation to every public-health professional in B.C. for their ongoing dedication to helping keep people in our province safe.”

Learn More:

Canadian Public Health Week: https://www.cpha.ca/cphw

To learn more about the self-screening program to help detect cervical cancer, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024HLTH0001-000015