Syphilis cases up over 600 per cent in Sask. First Nations communities, says public health doc
Indigenous Services Canada’s top public health physician in Saskatchewan is sounding the alarm over growing rates of syphilis in First Nations communities in the province.
Dr. Ibrahim Khan says the statistics from 2022 broke all previous records.
“There were 850 infectious syphilis cases reported,” said Khan. “Which, in epidemiological terms, is a 639 per cent increase in the number of infectious cases. We also had, unfortunately, 13 early congenital syphilis cases, and one congenital syphilis case is an alarm for any health system.”
Indigenous Services Canada declared an outbreak in 2019 across all Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan due to disproportionately higher rates compared to the provincial rate.
Khan says the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic made the issue worse due to the lack of testing, treatment, and prescriptions available.
“There were constant restrictions,” Khan told CTV News. “People were in isolation, you couldn’t see your doctor, you couldn’t get a prescription.”
But he says the majority of the 81 First Nations in the province are leading awareness, testing and treatment campaigns this summer, in partnership with other health organizations.
“Restrictions are gone, the mandates are gone, and there’s a little bit of freedom for the healthcare staff on the ground to do more testing, more awareness, and particularly targeting the youth in schools, all segments of the population.”
Another goal of the campaign is to ensure pregnant women can be screened for high-risk infections that could affect their baby, says Khan.
“Linking people to care, most of our Indigenous clients don’t have a family doctor,” he said. “And many of these pregnant women may not see a doctor. And if you don’t see a doctor, of course you’re not screened for all these high risk infections that jeopardize the health of the baby and mom after delivery. So that is a key priority for this summer.”
The Saskatchewan Prevention Institute says syphilis, if treated early, is curable.
But it can lead to serious harm in babies, including to their eyes, ears, teeth and bones.
Dr. Khan says the goal is zero cases, and it’s within reach.
“We have successful examples across Saskatchewan that were internationally recognized, so yes, we have championed communities that have achieved zero in the past couple of years,” said Khan.
“That is the hope.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.