Open Forum - Addiction and Mental Health in Malton

For our Canadian readers, this seems like a great forum to participate it.

The question is: why is our Desi community not using social services offered within the Malton community?

Open Forum on Mental health and addictions needs in Malton. It’s time to help make things work better for members of the Malton community who have mental health and addictions needs.

We need to hear from you about:
• How to make sure people with mental health and addictions issues can find the services they need
• What kind of mental health and addictions services need to be available
• What special concerns there might be in Malton because of the diversity of the community
• How to build on the strengths of the Malton community and the services that are already here
• What people need to stay healthy!

Hope To See You There!
Where: Hall B at the Malton Community Centre
3540 Morningstar Drive,
When: Wednesday, February 25th
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

If you have any questions, or special needs (e.g. transportation) please contact Randip Singh at rsingh@reconnect.on.ca or at 647.286.4323 or Jenny Carver at 905.836.2032

Sponsored by the Central West LHIN and the Malton Mental Health and Addictions Integrated Planning Project

From Outrage to Courage

I'm currently reading a book on women taking action for health and justice by Anne Firth Murray. The book, titled "From Outrage to Courage" discusses the various elements affecting the health of women around the globe. Here is an excerpt from the book. I would highly recommend the book.

Being born female is dangerous to your health. This reality may not be true for many readers, but for most women living in poorer countries around the globe, it is devastating.

The dangers start before birth. Sex-selective abortion is widespread, as parents decide for various reasons that they cannot bring another girl into the world. Hundreds of thousands of girls have "disappeared," unbalancing sex ratios in countries like China, India, and Korea. Every person in poverty is at a disadvantage, but the gender differences are staggering. Ninety million girls worldwide, compared with twenty-five million boys, do not go to school... More than half a million women die each year from almost completely preventable childbirth-related injuries and illnesses. One fourth to one half of women worldwide suffer violence at the hands of an infinite partner.

Women's health is so much more than a medical issue; it is cultural, political, economic, and - above all - an issue of social justice.

Investment in Disease Prevention

An important new commentary by Steven H. Woolf, M.D., M.P.H., in the February 4, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association argues that in these difficult economic times, our nation can no longer ignore the importance of disease prevention.

Noting that the United States spends on prevention only a very small amount of its annual $2 trillion dollars in total health care spending, Woolf presents convincing reasons for policy-makers, health care providers and the public health community to recognize both the cost-effectiveness and health benefits of proven prevention measures such as screening tests, smoking cessation programs, immunizations and physical activity. With so much riding on our economic and personal health, Woolf persuasively argues that we should invest in these preventive services that are shown to reduce health care costs and improve health.

"Our health care system is geared to treating the sick with expensive tests and procedures. But what we ultimately need is to foster a culture of wellness by stopping bad health before it happens," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "Congress and the President have made health reform a top priority. It is imperative that prevention be an integral part of any reform plan."