Pallister cuts to heart of what is needed in public health by cutting help for women who want to breastfeed

Many, many women, children and health professionals gathered at the Manitoba Legislature today to protest against the Pallister government's cuts to breastfeeding services. Lactation consultants who provide breast feeding advice are at the very core of good public health services. Breastfeeding can make a difference to children, a difference which lasts a lifetime. It can help with attachment between mother and child. It can help in reducing diabetes later in life. It can help in reducing infections and other health issues in the first year of life. And, as I heard from one of the women at the rally today, advice on breastfeeding is vital. Breastfeeding is hard for a first time mother. Help from an experienced lactation consultant can make a big difference. Help from an experienced lactation consultant can save a lot of dollars in health care and other costs in the future. The Pallister is not just cutting around the edges. This is a core service, and one which is absolutely vital to mothers and children and to our society as a whole. I was glad to see so many out today. Thank you all for coming. I will be with you fighting this awful Pallister government every step of the way.

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Comparison between Manitoba and South Dakota shows dramatic impact of Physical Distancing

Manitoba implemented physical distancing measures in mid-March. South Dakota has still not made physical distancing mandatory. The result is a dramatic difference in the incidence of covid-19 viral infections between the two jurisdictions. This graph shows the number of people with Covid-19 infections from March 27 to April 14. Manitoba ( red line ) started leveling off about April 4 and has seen only a small increase in Covid-19 infections since then. South Dakota ( blue line ) has seen a dramatic increase in Covid-19 infections since April 4. Those who are skeptical of the impact of physical distancing in Manitoba should look at this graph! Data are from the Johns Hopkins daily tabulations

Pushing for safe consumption sites and safe supply to reduce overdose deaths

On Monday June 20th, Thomas Linner of the Manitoba Health Coalition, Arlene Last-Kolb Regional Director of Moms Stop the Harm and Winnipeg City Councillor Sherri Rollins were at the Manitoba Legislature to advocate for better measures to reduce deaths from drug overdoses, most particularly for safe consumption sites and for a safe supply, measures which can reduce overdose deaths.

There is an imperative to have a provincial plan to ensure every child learns to read

Too many Manitoba children with learning disabilities like dyslexia are not being identified and helped early on starting in Kindergarten and grades 1 and 2. The Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that it is the provinces responsibility to ensure that every child learns to read, and even when, in the case of a child with dyslexia intensive intervention is needed. In 12 years Manitoba has failed to produce a provincial plan to address this issue. We are holding a Forum (see below) on this subject. Please come out to the Forum. There is no cost. Everyone is welcome. To learn more about the need to do better helping children, youth and adults with a learning disability click on this link

The Gerrard Report

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