Today, on World Tuberculosis Day, we reaffirm our commitment to eliminating tuberculosis (TB) in Canada. This disease is preventable and curable, yet it remains one of the world's most common infectious diseases. While Canada has one of the lowest TB rates in the world, this disease disproportionately affects Indigenous Peoples and newcomers to Canada from countries where TB is more common.

Canada fully supports the commitments made by world leaders last September at the first-ever United Nations High Level Meeting on TB, including to end the TB epidemic globally by 2030. The agreement from countries around the world to fight against this preventable disease is a historic and important development.

This year's theme from the World Health Organization is "It's time," highlighting the urgent need to act on our commitments to eliminating TB.

It's time to end the stigma. TB is a disease of social inequality. People without access to quality health care, housing and healthy food, or who are living in poverty, are often more susceptible to TB. This can create stigma and discrimination that prevent people who are at risk from seeking care, and also make it more difficult for them to continue treatment. The Government of Canada is working with Indigenous, federal, provincial and territorial partners to ensure that underserved populations have access to screening, testing, treatment and education. Access is a crucial part of helping to reduce stigma.

It's time to improve treatment options and to reduce the burden of TB on individuals, families and communities both at home and abroad. To do this, we have taken a number of steps. In 2017, our government made regulatory changes to allow for rifapentine, a Food and Drug Administration approved medication in the United States, to be imported for communities experiencing high rates of TB. Rifapentine is a medication for latent tuberculosis infection that has a shorter treatment course than the current options.

It's time to re-double our efforts to support First Nations and Inuit communities towards achieving the goal of TB elimination, through distinctions-based, culturally-safe care while recognizing the right to self-determination. Last year, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) and the Government of Canada announced our joint commitment to eliminating TB across Inuit Nunangat by 2030, and reducing active TB by at least 50% by 2025. Working towards this goal, ITK released the Inuit TB Elimination Framework in December 2018, which highlights the need for enhanced community-wide prevention, screening, early diagnosis and treatment, and calls for concerted action to address the social determinants of health that contributed to high rates of TB in Inuit communities.

Through our partnership with Inuit communities and the Governments of Nunavut and Nunatsiavut, the Government of Canada deployed four mobile TB screening clinics to Inuit communities over the past year. The mobile clinics provide timely access to TB-related health services, allowing for early diagnosis and local treatment to take place while minimizing the impact of cultural isolation and language barriers. These clinics are saving lives and helping prevent infections from spreading.

We also continue to engage with First Nations partners and provincial counterparts to strengthen efforts to address high rates of TB in First Nations communities. We are promoting increased awareness and education on TB for First Nations, while facilitating access to equitable and culturally-appropriate treatment and follow up care. Understanding cultural perspectives and traditional knowledge of First Nations and Inuit improves collaboration and mobilizes the appropriate resources to support the elimination of active TB.

Much has been accomplished over the past year, but more needs to be done. We are encouraged by the research activity and collaboration among scientists, health professionals and community members across the country dedicated to helping Canadians affected by TB have access to the information and health care they need.

We commend the efforts of the many individuals and groups active in the awareness, prevention and treatment of this disease. We all have a role to play-visit Canada.ca/Tuberculosis to learn more about TB and how you can help to address it.
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SHN is a hospital network serving the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  SHN's three hospital campuses are General, Birchmount and Centenary.
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For last nearly 30 years, Sproule had been traveling the developing world  to help in specialized plastic surgery to those who needed , donate equipment, and train other physicians.

As part of the Canadian Honours System, the SMV recognizes exceptional volunteer achievements from across the country and abroad, celebrating a wide range of voluntary contributions.

Jan Holland, Dr. Sproule’s receptionist for more than two decades, had witnessed Sproule’s dedication to his patients, both at home and abroad and nominated him for the Sovereign’s Medal award.

“If anyone deserves this award, he does and I could not be happier for him,” said Holland.

During the early start of his career as a plastic surgeon, Sproule started to devote time in the developing world and had travelled to Guyana,  Peru, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Nepal and Ecuador  to name a few places in performing cleft lip and palate surgery, burn surgery, and microsurgery.

Working with a variety of organizations and through his own charity, The Canadian Reconstructive Surgery Foundation, he’s also been able to donate sophisticated equipment to improve care, and routinely shares his expertise to train the next generation of physicians.

“Tim is a gifted and dedicated surgeon who offers a warm and supportive approach to all his patients,” explained Dr. Neville Poy, who worked with Dr. Sproule at SHN’s legacy organization, The Scarborough Hospital, and who is also an Order of Canada recipient from the Governor General.

“What’s more, he’s a compassionate humanitarian who has helped countless numbers of impoverished lives and whose teachings have allowed surgeons far and wide to carry on his work within their own communities.”

 He has maintained an academic appointment at the University of Toronto, lecturing on laser physics, safety, and techniques to resident physicians in the surgery program and is also training to participate in a triathlon next year.

“As a physician and as SHN’s Chief of Staff, it’s an inspiration to have Tim as part of our team,” said Dr. Dick Zoutman. “Our entire health network benefits from his remarkable strength and expertise.”