peterborough public health

Peterborough one of seven Canadian communities to receive funding for youth substance use prevention

July 4, 2024 by Edward Sweeney

On June 26, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced that Peterborough Public Health (PPH) will be one of seven communities chosen to begin implementing the Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM) for youth substance use prevention.

“The IPM is, most simply, a process,” says PPH Health Promoter Deanna VandenBroek. “It is a process that is focused on the broader social surroundings that affect youth, such as their homes, schools, peer environments, and leisure time, rather than focusing on changing individual behaviour.”

This funding comes from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s $3.1 million Youth Substance Use Prevention Program. PPH is receiving the maximum amount of $125,000, which will go towards the initial stages of adapting the IPM to the Peterborough community’s needs, says VandenBroek.

Peterborough sees first case of ‘whooping cough’ since 2019

April 26, 2024 by Edward Sweeney

Peterborough Public Health (PPH) announced today that there was a “laboratory confirmed case” of pertussis, commonly called “whooping cough,” in the Peterborough region.

According to the PPH media release, “pertussis is a bacterial respiratory infection spread through contact with droplets produced by an infected person’s sneeze or cough.”

Trent Radio spoke with Jessica Andrews, a PPH nurse in the infectious disease department, to learn more about this disease.

Andrews talks about symptoms, prevention, and treatment of pertussis infections.

“We want to make sure that people are taking precautions,” says Andrews, even though there has only been one confirmed case.

Student assembly to celebrate student nutrition programs. Students are each holding an apple in the air.

Kenner students ‘crunch’ into apples to celebrate student nutrition programs

March 12, 2024 by Edward Sweeney

Nearly 200 students at Kenner Collegiate Vocational Institute crunched into Ontario-grown apples, in sync with students across the country, to celebrate student nutrition programs on March 7. The event, called the Great Big Crunch, was organized by Food For Kids Peterborough and Peterborough Public Health (PPH).

The Great Big Crunch has been happening every year since 2008, taking place on the last school day before March break, and has since involved over 1 million students.

Luisa Magalhaes, a registered dietician for PPH, spoke with Trent Radio about local student nutrition programs, and why they are important; Student nutrition programs are seen to greatly improve overall performance in schools.

Student nutrition programs in Peterborough City and County are funded through the province and through community donations. Magalhaes shared that Canada is “the only G7 country” without a federally funded student nutrition program.

Peterborough Public Health and HKPR Health Unit to merge

February 29, 2024 by Edward Sweeney

The Boards of Health for Peterborough Public Health (PPH) and the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) Health Unit announced on Wednesday that they will seek provincial approval to voluntarily merge.

This merger happened because of a Ministry of Health announcement in August 2023 which offered funding and support to health units that choose to voluntarily merge before Jan. 1, 2025.

The PPH and HKPR Health Unit Boards of Health began a feasibility study for the merger in November 2023, and have decided to move forward with the proposal.

Present at the virtual media scrum were both Board of Health Chairs David Marshall of HKPR and City Coun. Joy Lachica (PPH) to announce the merge.

Also present were Medical Officers of Health Dr. Thomas Piggott (PPH) and Dr. Natalie Bocking (HKPR Health Unit) to discuss the potential benefits a merger.

A visual representation of the reported cases of iGAS in Peterborough over the last 9 years. The graph shows a steady rise over the years with a steeper rise at the far right of the chart.

Provincial rise in Invasive Group A Strep infections seen in Peterborough

February 15, 2024 by Edward Sweeney

On January 11, 2024, Public Health Ontario published a report about invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) disease activity in the province between October 1, and December 31, 2023. The statistics shown in this report indicated that reported cases were increasing in 2023 compared to recent years, especially in November and December.

Although this disease is caused by the same bacterium responsible for the common ‘strep throat,’ when it is ‘invasive’ it presents more serious symptoms, even fatality. Of the 540 cases reported in Ontario between October 1 and December 31, 412 cases (or 76.3%) required hospitalization, and 48 (or 8.9%) resulted in fatality.

Trent Radio contacted Peterborough Public Health’s Infectious Disease Team to learn about the local presence of iGAS. Peterborough showed similar trends to the province, with 2023 having the highest reported number of iGAS cases in recent years.