Second Harvest Delivers Six Millionth Pound of Food

Food rescue organization helps rebuild communities after recession

TORONTO, August 26, /Canada NewsWire/ - Today Second Harvest, a charitable organization that rescues and delivers perishable food items to social service agencies in Toronto, delivered its six millionth pound of food for this year. This is the first time in the organization's twenty-five year history that such a high volume of food has been recovered in a single fiscal year.

In 2009 the social service agencies that receive food from Second Harvest reported a 20-30 per cent increase in people coming through their doors requiring assistance. Agencies specifically saw a large increase in those who are considered 'working poor' - people affected by job loss or reduced work hours.

Melissa Dedic, Foodraiser at Second Harvest says, "we are committed to feeding Toronto's hungry, especially during difficult times. This year we responded to the dramatic increase in the demand for food by growing our food donations significantly. The food we recover and donate helps those most affected by the recession start rebuilding their lives."

One of Second Harvest's food recipients, the Salvation Army on River Street, operates a food bank and a café that serves 100 meals a day. According to Wayne Rumsby, a community pastor at the Salvation Army, the past two years have been a challenge for the organization.

"We are very thankful to be on the receiving end of Second Harvest's work. Good food should not end up in landfill when people in our community are hungry," says Rumsby.

All food items distributed by Second Harvest are perishable goods that would otherwise go to waste. Donations are supplied by community-minded restaurants, grocery stores, food manufacturers and distributors. Second Harvest is grateful for the generosity of all their food partners.

In addition to feeding hungry Torontonians, Second Harvest also prevented over one million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere this year by diverting excess food from landfills. To learn more about Second Harvest or to make a donation, please visit secondharvest.ca.

About Second Harvest

Second Harvest is a charitable organization that takes a common-sense approach to hunger. For the past twenty-five years Second Harvest has been picking up donated, perishable food, which would otherwise go to waste, and delivering that food to over 200 social service agencies in Toronto. Recognized for efficiency and impact of services, independent research group Charity Intelligence Canada named Second Harvest a Ci Recommended Charity in 2009. The organization recently received a 'Grade A' from MoneySense magazine.

Operation Eyesight Universal leading the way in partnerships with hospitals in India

TORONTO, August 26, 2010 /Canada NewsWire/ - India was once known for its crippling bureaucracy that stifled progress and growth, but this country has made tremendous strides towards sustainable development. Operation Eyesight Universal has worked in India since 1963, and is proud to be part of this success story.

Five years ago, Operation Eyesight had 41 hospital partners in India, working to provide high quality eye care programs and services. Today, Operation Eyesight partners with 17 Indian hospitals — and these 17 are more than doubling the impact of the original group, producing more and better results with less, while taking decisive steps on the road to operational sustainability.

Pat Ferguson, President and CEO of Operation Eyesight, says a shared commitment to quality and patient services keeps these partnerships together.

"We can effectively use donors' money to help hospitals in poor areas deliver high-quality outcomes and achieve financial sustainability — both of which are critical if we are to eliminate avoidable blindness," states Ferguson.

While previously the focus was on surgeries for people with cataracts - still the objective of many NGOs today - Operation Eyesight's vision is to build community and medical infrastructure that will enable eye problems to be prevented and treated before they cause blindness.

"We can eliminate 80 percent of avoidable blindness through a basic primary eye care system and by making sure people have access to care," Ferguson explains. "We will always need to treat people with cataracts, but if that is all we focus on, we will never win the larger battle."

Working with the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute located in Hyderabad, India, Operation Eyesight is providing expert training and consulting resources. Operation Eyesight collaborates with partners to ensure local professionals and staff are appropriately trained and hospitals and clinics are well-designed, built and equipped. Better cost control, effective systems, high-functioning facilities and a strong community outreach program allow many people to receive valuable eye care services.

It's important to deliver quality as it is essential for attracting patients who pay for services. This revenue, combined with that from in-hospital optical shops, enables hospitals to provide free care to those in need.

"We've learned a great deal over the past five years and our partners have worked hard to implement change," Ferguson says.

"Our partners don't want to be dependent on foreign funding. They want to be in control of their own future. Our development approach will help them see that day."

Operation Eyesight is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness in the developing world. They work with medical professionals and communities in Africa and India to help provide quality eye care programs and sustainable community development. Since 1963, through the support of our donors, 35 million of the world's poorest people have had their sight restored or protected. To learn more about our work, visit www.operationeyesight.com.

World Vision applauds Canadian government decision to match private donations to Pakistan relief efforts

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, August 22. 2010 /Canada NewsWire/ - Today, World Vision Canada congratulates the federal government for its commitment to match Canadians' donations to the Pakistan flood response. The announcement this morning, in answer to the relief agency's call, brings hope to millions of children and families struggling to survive.

"The Canadian government has shown significant leadership through this funding commitment and Canadians can give confidently, knowing their donations will have twice the lifesaving impact. World Vision believes the decision to match donations has the potential to aid thousands of additional children caught in this tragedy," said Dave Toycen, president & CEO, World Vision Canada.

The Canadian government will allocate the matching funds to Canadian and international development organizations responding to the floods in Pakistan. (For details, visit www.acdi.gc.ca)

As more than 3.5 million children face increasing risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera, World Vision continues to scale up its response. The agency, which has worked in Pakistan since 1992, has been asked to assist Pakistan's Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) to set up and run a special treatment unit for diarrheal diseases including cholera in Lower Dir, one of the worst-affected areas.

FACTS

- To date, World Vision Canada has raised more than $500,000. The agency has raised its fundraising target to $2 million in Canada.

- World Vision aims to reach 300,000 people over the next three to six months with food, water, cooking items, water purification tablets, tents and hygiene kits. The agency has already reached 21,000 people and is providing basic health care at five clinics in Lower Dir, where more than 3,200 patients, including 640 children under five years, have been treated for flood-related illnesses. The agency is planning to set up 15 additional health posts, as well as a treatment unit for diarrheal diseases including cholera.

- World Vision is working to set up 20 child-friendly spaces and 20 women-friendly spaces - safe and comfortable environments where
children and women can receive psycho-social support.

To donate to World Vision's Pakistan flood response:

- Call 1-800-268-5528 (English) or 1-800-363-5021 (French)
- Visit www.worldvision.ca
- Text the word WORLD to 45678 to make a $5 donation

United Church Launches Emergency Appeal for Pakistan

TORONTO, August 17, 2010 /Canada NewsWire/ - The United Church of Canada announced today that it is launching an emergency appeal for donations designated for flood relief and reconstruction in Pakistan.

The United Church will receive donations to its Emergency Response Fund to be used by the ACT Alliance, a global network of 100 churches and church-related organizations that work together to provide humanitarian assistance and long-term development. ACT members in Pakistan are working diligently to deliver assistance including food, water, tents, kitchen kits, hygiene kits, mosquito nets, and emergency medical care.

Gary Kenny is The United Church of Canada's Program Coordinator for Emergency Response. He says the United Church has a solid history of working with its in-country partners and organizations like ACT to deliver aid to affected communities in a timely, efficient, and effective manner. Delivering aid to the affected communities is extremely difficult, because they are in mountainous, remote, and hard-to-reach regions. Nonetheless Kenny says he's confident that the initial emergency funds the United Church has sent - $65,000 from emergency relief funds and $75,000 through its membership in the Canadian Foodgrains Bank - has reached or will soon reach communities in need.

"Patience, ongoing consultation, and careful planning and monitoring are critical requirements in responding effectively to a humanitarian crisis as complex as that currently unfolding in Pakistan," says Kenny.

Individuals are invited to contribute to the United Church's Pakistan appeal either through their local congregations or directly to The United Church of Canada's national office: 3250 Bloor St. West, Suite 300, Toronto, ON M8X 2Y4. Cheques should be made payable to The United Church of Canada and marked "Pakistan Flood Relief." Online donations can also be made at www.united-church.ca/pakistan.

Forced suspension of World Vision leaves thousands of lives in jeopardy in Somalia

TORONTO, August 16, 2010 /Canada NewsWire/ - Last week's suspension of World Vision programs in south central Somalia will mean almost certain starvation for thousands of children, the aid agency said today.

More than 3,400 children were receiving vital nutritional feeding from the organization before it was forced to suspend its operations last week by militant group Al-Shabaab.

World Vision says that last week alone, they had 51 severely malnourished children admitted to their stabilization centres and they are now concerned about the fate of these children.

A quarter of a million women and newborn children are also facing an uncertain future with the closure of nine mother and child healthcare centres and 162 health posts across the affected regions, leaving them with no access to vital, primary healthcare.

Hundreds of patients (227) were being treated for TB in another program and World Vision says interrupting their treatment at this critical time in their recovery puts them at high risk of the disease gathering strength, in a drug-resistant form.

Suspension of livelihood programs will further exacerbate the vulnerability of more than one million people who were dependent on ongoing World Vision projects for their economic survival.

Ongoing conflict in Somalia has heavily restricted humanitarian space for aid agencies over the past few years, and this latest closure is a further blow to those already suffering the most.

World Vision says that there is no unilateral solution to the problems in Somalia and lasting development and peace building will only be viable if leadership for them comes from indigenous and acceptable Somali process.

"In a country where one out of every seven children dies before their fifth birthday, and one mother in every hundred dies during pregnancy or childbirth, the situation is a big blow to the vulnerable. Given the humanitarian cost of our programs being suspended, we want to get back in and to work as soon as possible"

"All those involved in this conflict must observe international humanitarian law, and ensure protection and care for the vulnerable. The children of Somalia deserve nothing less than a peaceful environment" - Chris Smoot, Program Director, World Vision Somalia

Facts:

- World Vision has been working in Somalia since 1992.
- World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome extreme poverty and injustice, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender.

New Polling Shows Overwhelming Support for Organ and Tissue Donation

Long wait lists and gaps in supply and demand not due to lack of interest


OTTAWA, August 13, 2010 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - While more than 4,000 Canadians are on wait lists for organ transplants - and every day-and-a-half, one patient dies waiting - Canada's low deceased organ donation rate cannot be attributed to a lack of public support.

As world experts gather next week in Vancouver to discuss strategies for increasing organ donation and transplantation rates, a recent Ipsos Reid poll shows that Canadians are strong proponents of both organ and tissue donation. But confusion about how to declare their support for donation in the current system may be a key factor in Canada's flat donation rate for the past decade. At about 14 donors per million, our national organ donor rate (deceased) is less than half that of the best performing countries.

The poll shows that the majority of Canadians have either made the decision to donate, or are open to it, however few have taken action to register their consent. Further, seven in 10 Canadians cannot name the organization responsible for managing the organ and tissue donation and transplantation (OTDT) system within their province or territory-demonstrating confusion about how to register and with whom.

"The current system saves lives every day, but what this poll tells us is that we have an opportunity to do so much better," says Dr. Graham Sher, CEO of Canadian Blood Services, which commissioned the poll as part of public consultations on system improvements in OTDT . "What Canadians are telling us is that they need a clearer, more responsive system that makes it easy for them to act on their support, and that ultimately respects their wishes."

Other key poll findings include:

- Canadians agree that improving access to organ and tissue donation is a top health-care priority, and that increased education and awareness about donation options for both the public and medical communities is key. They also believe that a physician or medical professional should approach families at the appropriate time to discuss donation options.

- While Canadians are united in the need for an improved OTDT system, their opinions differ on potential remedies; for instance:

- 88 per cent believe the wishes of a deceased person who has signed a donor card or registered their intent should be followed - regardless of the wishes of next-of-kin

- However, only 54 per cent of Canadians favour "presumed
consent," in which organs and tissues are considered public good unless one "opts out." Meanwhile, 45 per cent are decidedly opposed to a system that assumes consent without prior consultation.

- Most Canadians list inter-provincial collaboration as the top priority for developing an integrated system, to ensure wait times are consistent across the country and that patients have a fair chance of receiving a transplant, regardless of where they live.

This polling information supports data that Canadian Blood Services collected during a series of nine public dialogue consultations held across the country in recent months. In particular, public dialogue participants expressed surprise that wait times for organs vary widely across the country. Similar to Ipsos' data, consultation participants placed a high premium on equality and fairness; and improved collaboration nationwide.

In August 2008, Canadian Blood Services was mandated by the federal, provincial and territorial governments outside Quebec to develop a recommendation for the design of an integrated system to improve organ and tissue donation and transplantation (OTDT) in Canada. Since then, the organization has been consulting broadly with industry experts both at home and internationally, with key patient groups, and with the Canadian public. A series of recommendations is being developed based on those consultations.

In 2008, there were more than 2,000 organ transplants performed in Canada, while at the same time more than 4,300 Canadians remained on a wait list for transplantation. During that period, 215 died without receiving the transplant that might have saved their lives.

To read the full polling results, please visit www.blood.ca

To read the full report on Canadian Blood Services' public dialogue consultations, please visit www.blod.ca/speakup

Charter for Compassion

from the Scout Report
charterforcompassion.org

The idea for the Charter for Compassion came from Karen Armstrong, who is a former Roman Catholic nun who left a British convent to pursue a degree in modern literature at Oxford.

In 2008 she won the TED Prize, and as part ofthis prize she wished for help starting the Charter for Compassion.

Essentially, the Charter is "a cooperative effort to restore not only compassionate thinking but, more importantly, compassionate action to the center of religious, moral and political life."
Visitors to the site can read the Charter, and then add their name to the list of those who have affirmed its principles.

On the site, visitors can also read reflections from people who have signed the Charter and also learn more about "Acts of Compassion" performed by various people around the world. [KMG]

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2010.
http://scout.wisc.edu

Canada ranks near the bottom in usage of newer cancer drugs

New study reinforces need for national catastrophic drug plan for cancer patients


TORONTO, August 5, 2010 /Canada NewsWire/ - In a newly released report comparing international usage of prescription drugs, Canada ranks thirteenth among 14 countries for cancer drugs launched within the last five years. The study, conducted for the UK Secretary of State for Health, compared 14 countries for their usage of 14 categories of prescription drugs to determine whether the UK is adequately providing for the health needs of its citizens. In Canada, low usage of newer cancer drugs means that patients might bounce from one outdated treatment to another trying to achieve results that the unavailable drug would have provided.

In the oncology category of the newly released report, "Extent and Causes of International Variations in Drug Usage," the UK ranked twelfth, prompting its government to announce a (pnds stlg)50 million fund to start covering cancer drugs that were not yet approved by the country's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). At the other end of the spectrum, France, Austria and the US took the top ranking spots for use of newer cancer drugs, whereas New Zealand had the poorest showing after Canada.

According to Dr. Kong Khoo, Vice Chair of the Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada (CACC) and lead author of the CACC Report Card articles on access to cancer drugs, "the UK study confirms what we have been reporting for several years in the annual Report Card on Cancer in Canada. Our citizens do not have reasonable, timely access to the newest, most effective cancer drugs. For many, that reality means trying to pay for a treatment that is unaffordable, which creates an impossible choice: your health or financial solvency for your family."

The CACC has published comprehensive lists of the difference in drug coverage by province, and the growing reliance on private insurance to pay for cancer drugs. With a large number of uninsured and under-insured Canadians, especially post-retirement, the prospect of catastrophic drug cost is a growing threat.

"The Canadian Cancer Society strongly believes that all Canadians must have access to cancer drug treatments without financial hardship, no matter where they live in this country," says Aaron Levo, Acting Director, National Public Issues, Canadian Cancer Society. "During cancer treatment a person needs to focus on their health. It is not a time for a patient to worry about how they are going to pay for the drugs. This is simply unacceptable."

Jack Shapiro, Chair of the Canadian Cancer Action Network says that Canadians need universal, equitable and affordable cancer drug access. "Above all, cancer drug treatment should not impose added emotional strain or financial hardships on patients and their families. And stakeholders, including governments, need to develop strategies to increase the sustainability of cancer drug coverage."

Today, in light of Canada's extremely low ranking in the UK study, the Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada, Canadian Cancer Society and Canadian Cancer Action Network are calling on the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers of Health to urgently pursue the creation of a national catastrophic drug plan for cancer patients.

About the Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada

The Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada (CACC) is a registered, non-profit cancer group dedicated to citizen advocacy. The CACC operates on unrestricted grants based on guidelines that ensure the organization's autonomy. For more information, visit the CACC's website at www.canceradvocacy.ca.

About the Canadian Cancer Society

The Canadian Cancer Society is a national, community-based organization of volunteers, whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer. For more information, visit the Canadian Cancer Society's website at www.cancer.ca.

About the Canadian Cancer Action Network

The Canadian Cancer Action Network is a volunteer-driven, incorporated organization uniting cancer-site patient organizations from across Canada under one umbrella, dedicated to ensuring patient interests remain a key priority on the national cancer agenda. For more information, or to access the full UK report on international variations in drug usage, visit the Canadian Cancer Action Network's website at www.ccanceraction.ca.

A Prayer for Good Health

People who pray for health-related reasons are not necessarily relying solely on spirituality for an answer.

from EveryDayHealth.com
By Eric Metcalf
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

Watching a parent, child, sibling, or any other loved one suffer from a serious illness or go under the knife can be frightening. Perhaps you've said a silent prayer for them before they headed into surgery or started another round of chemotherapy. In fact, many hospitals have chapels for prayer and meditation. But is there really a link between prayer and health?

Prayer and Health: Ways to Cope

You may not think of prayer as a form of alternative medicine. But many Americans rely on prayer as a method of coping with health-related issues. A 2004 study found that 43 percent of Americans prayed for their own health and about 25 percent felt they benefited from other people's prayers.

So far, scientific research has not supported the idea that prayer can improve one's health. In 2007, researchers compiling the results of previous studies on distant intercessory prayer — in essence, when people pray for you without your knowledge — found that this had no measurable effect and probably didn't warrant further study. Researchers can run into other challenges, as each person defines spirituality and prayer differently.

However, that doesn't mean that other types of prayer couldn't help when you're having health problems, says Kevin Masters, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is funding several studies probing how prayer is linked with health and wellness. For example, one study in New York City is examining how spirituality affects the immune system and well-being of terminally sick cancer patients.

Prayer and Health: One Family's Story

Even though Sue Ellen Braunlin, MD, and her family were caught up in a life-or-death situation, she just didn't feel like she had the right to pray for help. That was 13 years ago. Today, she recalls having been so privileged all her life that it was hard to ask for something special back then — she says she felt very undeserving.

Her newborn daughter, Marta, was born with a serious heart defect. The doctors sent the baby home, waiting to see if she'd be a suitable candidate for the surgeries needed to address the problem. Dr. Braunlin — herself an anesthesiologist in Indianapolis, Ind. — spent the next few months desperately trying to help her baby thrive, without getting the answers she wanted from the doctors.

Over the coming years, she began to ask for help through prayer. At first, she didn't find her "own prayer voice," and she got a lot of strength from other people praying for her and Marta in those early days... more story at EveryDayHealth.com

Canada's Physicians lead the way in charting a new course for health care

OTTAWA, August 3, 2010, Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has unveiled today an important new policy document aimed at driving change in Canada's health care system to better meet the needs of patients now and in the future. It also aims at framing future discussions between the Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments in preparation for the renewal of the Health Accord in 2014.

"Canada's physicians know that the time to act is past due if we are going to devise a plan to build a sustainable health care system that actually meets the needs of patients, instead of one that simply makes the promise but falls short in many areas," said Dr. Anne Doig, President of the CMA. "Our system needs to be massively transformed and the CMA is engaging Canadians to discuss and debate the hard choices we will need to make as a nation to move our system forward."

The CMA policy document, entitled "Health Care Transformation in Canada: Change that Works. Care that Lasts." focuses on taking the dialogue around health care in Canada beyond the narrowly interpreted parameters set out by the Canada Health Act.

"The goal of this effort is to improve the health of Canada's population, to improve the patient's experience of health care and to improve the value for the money we spend as a nation on health care," said Dr. Doig. "With initiatives such as a new Charter for Patient-centred care and focused action we can build the next generation of health care in Canada."

The CMA's "Health Care Transformation in Canada: Change that Works. Care that Lasts" document includes a framework for transformation organized upon five pillars for specific action, with key actions or deliverables in each. The pillars are:

1. Building a culture of patient-centred care;
Key action: Create a Charter for Patient-centred Care

2. Incentives for enhancing access and improving quality of care;
Key action: Change incentives to enhance timely access
Key action: Change incentives to support quality care

3. Enhancing patient access along the continuum of care;
Key action: Universal access to prescription drugs
Key action: Continuing care outside acute care facilities

4. Helping providers help patients;
Key action: Ensure Canada has an adequate supply of health human
resources
Key action: Improve adoption of health information technologies

5. Building accountability/responsibility at all levels;
Key action: Build system accountability
Key action: Build system stewardship.


By directing action in a concerted and organized way within the five pillars, Canada can reform the health care system so that it meets the needs of patients.

"As we have taken these ideas out to patients and stakeholders we have been gratified to see how they resonate with health care professionals, stakeholders, patients and even policymakers," said Dr. Doig. "We want to continue that dialogue and drive that momentum forward so that it results in concrete action."

The "Health Care Transformation in Canada: Change that Works. Care that Lasts" policy document will be the centerpiece at the upcoming CMA Annual General Meeting where physician-delegates from across the country will discuss and debate next steps around strategies to transform the health care system.