Hastings and Prince Edward Counties/ Sept. 4, 2024
The Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health held its regular meeting for September 2024 today. The agenda package can be reviewed at hpePublicHealth.ca.
Respiratory illness season
Dr. Ethan Toumishey, Medical Officer of Health (MOH) and CEO at Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH), provided an update to the Board on respiratory virus season.
Respiratory viruses are with us all year long but tend to spike in fall and winter, which means that now is a good time to make sure you are ready for when the three most common viruses – influenza, COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) – are at their peak.
- Get your flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccination when it is recommended. A new COVID-19 vaccine targeting the KP.2 variant will be available later in the fall and the Ontario government is also expanding the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) program. Infants, high-risk children and pregnant individuals will be eligible for RSV vaccines that can help protect them and their loved ones during the fall respiratory illness season. Ontario will also continue the high-risk older adult RSV vaccine program that was introduced in 2023 with expanded eligibility in 2024–25. The vaccine is indicated for adults aged 60 years and older.
- Consider wearing a tight-fitting well-constructed mask in indoor public settings, especially if you are at higher risk of severe infection.
- If you are sick, stay home if possible. Wear a mask when in public settings as you recover.
- Wash your hands often and clean high touch surfaces regularly.
- Cover your mouth with your arm or elbow when you cough or sneeze.
- Know if you’re eligible for and how to access COVID-19 treatments.
Please review our the Respiratory Illness Fact Sheet for more information.
Initiatives to address syphilis in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties
Sexual Health and Harm Reduction Public Health Nurse Stephanie Vance provided a presentation to the Board about HPEPH’s collaborative initiatives to address syphilis, a bacterial sexually transmitted infection. Cases of infectious syphilis are on the rise across Ontario, and the same trend is being seen in HPEC.
The Sexual Health and Harm Reduction Program has implemented several initiatives in 2023-2024 with an aim to address the local increase in cases, including:
- Targeting health communication to local health-care providers and the public
- Increasing access to syphilis screening through HPEPH sexual health clinics
- Providing a medical directive for treatment of syphilis
- Providing outreach nursing services to individuals experiencing barriers to care, in order to increase access to testing and treatment
- Participating in the Public Health Ontario funded SPRITE study (Syphilis Point-of-care Rapid testing and Immediate Treatment Evaluation)
This SPRITE study, a Locally Driven Collaborative Project led by Kingston Frontenac Lennox & Addington Public Health and implemented collaboratively with other Public Health units and several academic partners, has provided the opportunity to implement HIV/syphilis point-of-care (rapid) tests to individuals experiencing many barriers to health care throughout the region, allowing for reduced time to treatment.
Dental vans launched at HPEPH
HPEPH is pleased to announce the launch of two new mobile dental vans. This initiative, which began in 2020 when capital funding was approved through the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program (OSDCP), is in partnership with Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington Public Health. The vans, one for each health unit, will enhance accessibility to provincial dental programs for residents in both health unit regions and help bridge the gaps in oral health care within our communities, particularly in underserved and rural areas.
The launch of the mobile dental van represents a significant advancement in providing accessible, equitable, and high-quality dental care to our communities for those who qualify for provincial dental programs. HPEPH will start with a soft launch, providing services at the Belleville public health location to familiarize staff with the van and ensure all equipment and functionalities are operational for remote services. HPEPH will build capacity over 2024-2025 to offer two days per week at various rural locations in HPE to increase the accessibility of the OSDCP to rural adults who qualify.
Initial services on the mobile bus will include dental hygiene services, with possible expansion to include dentist services in the future. OSDCP clients can access services through booked appointments. More information is available on the HPEPH website.
2024 Community Health Profile
HPEPH Epidemiologist Amanda Lau presented the 2024 HPEPH Community Health Profile to the Board. This report summarizes the population health status of residents in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties, using key indicators drawn from the most recent five years of publicly available data.
Understanding the current health status of the community is critical to ensure HPEPH, as well as local community partners, are able to continuously review and adapt services to prioritize and address community needs. By comparing local data against provincial indicators, HPEPH can better understand where our efforts will make the most impact in our community.
The 2024 Community Health Profile identifies several key findings, including a better understanding of the impact of the aging population on local services, potential risks of climate change, impact of the increasing cost of living, rates of cancer and chronic disease, and the need for ongoing action to address potential harms related to mental health and substance use. As health is impacted by many factors beyond our control, this report strives to better understand, where possible, the relationship between the social determinants of health and health outcomes. Additionally, we are still learning about the long-term health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and what this means for the long-term health of our community. We will use this data to inform future plans within our organization, share key findings with partner agencies, and continue to advocate for community health priorities, as we work together to ensure our residents are able to become as healthy as they can be.
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For more information contact:
Maureen Hyland, Communications Specialist
hyland.maureen@hpeph.ca
Emily Tubbs, Communications Specialist
etubbs@hpeph.ca
Communications Team
communications@hpeph.ca
About Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) is a public health agency that serves the counties of Hastings and Prince Edward from four local offices. HPEPH is situated and provides services on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee people. We monitor the health of our local population, deliver programs and services within our communities, and help develop healthy public policies. We provide information and support in many areas to help improve the health and well-being of our residents. Together with our communities, we help people become as healthy as they can be. For more information, please visit hpePublicHealth.ca. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
We invite community partners and residents to share this Media Release with their respective networks.
