Cindy MacDougall
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 15/99) - The health minister presented sobering statistics but no plans Monday when he released the territories' first health status report in almost a decade.

According to the report, the rate of death due to injuries and preventable deaths, at 23 per cent of deaths in the NWT, is over twice the Canadian average. This includes suicide, car accidents and other preventable deaths.

Cancer is also a serious concern, with 25 per cent of deaths between 1991 and 1996 caused by cancer. A quarter of those cancer deaths were smoking-related.

Health Minister Floyd Roland said the report will help the new government and the Department of Health and Social Services make decisions and form legislation.

He said work needs to be done on these issues.

"I think it's fair to say we are comparable on many things to other jurisdictions," he said. "But we do fall behind in some areas."

Tobacco and alcohol use are major themes throughout the report. Alcohol often plays a part in preventable deaths, said Andre Corriveau, the NWT's chief medical officer.

Roland said he is not at this time proposing legislation dealing with alcohol-related problems.

"Yes, you sometimes do get favourable comments, but some people take it as an offence to their personal freedom," said Roland in regard to alcohol restrictions.

"We may have to make healthy choices more clear, or we'll always be putting out fires."

Corriveau said alcohol abuse affects more than preventable death rates.

"Tobacco and alcohol use during pregnancy are also quite high," he said. "This is a societal issue that is impacting on the lives of so many children in the NWT. We cannot be silent anymore."

"We have to deal with tobacco issues," Roland said. "We have to talk to our young people about alcohol and risky behaviour."

Corriveau said his future concern was with HIV rates.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea rates in the NWT are over eight times that of the Canadian average. HIV rates are quite low, with only 34 reported cases in the territories.

Still, Corriveau said he worries.

"The highest rate of infection, at 15 per cent (of new cases) in Canada is aboriginal people," he said. "All it would take is the virus to be introduced to the right group of people, and we could have a serious situation."

Percy Kinney, the NWT's chief coroner, said he is cautiously optimistic about the report.

"This report reflects that they're trying to get a handle on these issues," Kinney said.

"I like to see the concentration on injury prevention."

However, Kathryn Youngblut, president of the NWT Division of the Canadian Mental Health Association, said she was disappointed with the lack of mental health information in the report.

"I don't think (the report) gives it (mental wellness) the priority it warrants," she said. "It's not in the list of priorities."

"We will bring this to the minister," she said.