Michelle DaCruz
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 27/02) - The FAS symposium held in Yellowknife recently was the first continuing medical education training course developed by the NWT for territorial doctors and health care professionals.

It was made possible by the Prairie Northern Pacific FAS Partnership. Formed in 1998, the initiative is composed of four western provinces, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and all three territories.

"Usually doctors had to go elsewhere for ongoing education, but we developed an FAS training session approved by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada that NWT professionals could take right here," said Lona Hegeman, the local contact for the partnership and a GNWT consultant for reproductive health.

Dr. Andre Corriveau, NWT's chief medical officer, was among more than 10 presenters. He spoke about the policy challenges involved in preventing pregnant mothers from drinking. Instant solutions such as increasing taxes on alcohol and implementing an FAS registry, like the one in the Yukon, are not the approaches that Corriveau would like to see implemented in this territory.

"We would like to focus on a comprehensive point of view, where there could be increase jurisdictional responsibility, and supports in place for women that involves partners and their communities," said Corriveau.

Angie MacNeil, a public health nurse from the Inuvik Health Board, is a team member of Inuvik's own FAS working group. MacNeil's presentation focused on the progress of the group created to deal with FAS affected children locally, rather than sending them off to be treated elsewhere.

"In terms of progress the community awareness has improved. Now we can slowly move past awareness toward rehabilitation," said MacNeil.

An attendee of the symposium, Pat Inglis, the director of alcohol and drug services for Saskatchewan, found the event extremely useful.

According to Inglis, FAS is a problem that effects the whole country.

"FAS does not miss any culture in Canada. It is an important issue for all of us because it is one of those problems that cuts across all stratas of society," Inglis said.

Dr. Aporna Kali, of Family Medical Clinic in Yellowknife, attended all three days of the event.

"The symposium was very helpful because it dealt with prevention and intervention. That is important because FAS is not like other diseases - there is no cure," she said.

Also in attendance were Minister of Health and Social Services Michael Miltenberger and Premier Stephen Kakfwi.

The premier told the audience of about 100 at the Explorer Hotel that issues like FAS will "make or break the future of the NWT."

"How, and how well, we address social issues such as FAS and FAE could very well affect how history will turn out for us in the next 20 years," the premier said.