Latest news with #EkuaAgyemang
Hamilton Spectator
6 days ago
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
GN inflates giant colon to encourage cancer screening
'A poop test can save someone's life,' says Dr. Ekua Agyemang, Nunavut's acting chief public health officer. To spread that message, Nunavut's Department of Health is bringing a giant inflatable colon to communities across the territory. Measuring six metres long and three metres tall, the colon made its debut in Rankin Inlet in May as the territorial government launched a new colorectal cancer screening program. Iqaluit residents also had the opportunity to walk through the colon earlier this month when it was set up at Canada Day and Nunavut Day festivities. It has also visited Kimmirut and Clyde River. 'It's a hands-on experience that will resonate with all ages, and it visually [demonstrates] the progression of colon cancer disease,' Agyemang said in an interview. The inflatable colon cost $17,000, Agyemang said. But that purchase pales in comparison to the cost of treating colorectal cancer. 'Early treatment — that is only the polyp — is just about $25,000,' she said. For more advanced stages, 'you are looking at over $200,000, $300,000 to treat just one person.' Colorectal cancer is Nunavut's second most common type of cancer behind lung cancer, according to the latest report from Agyemang's office. The 2022 Nunavut cancer report identified 130 colorectal cancer cases between 2008 and 2017, accounting for almost 20 per cent of cancer diagnoses for that period in the territory. The Department of Health is rolling out fecal immunochemical test kits – abbreviated as FIT kits – to health centres across the territory. All residents ages 50 to 74 are encouraged to pick up a free kit, which can be administered at home in your bathroom, and then returned to the health centre for processing. If a test comes back and blood is found in the stool — an early indicator of colon cancer — the patient will be called in for a colonoscopy to identify if there is cancer and at what stage. Colonoscopies and early treatment can be done at the Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqaluit. Nunavummiut with relatives who had colorectal cancer should start seeking regular screening at an age 10 years younger than when that family member was diagnosed, Agyemang said. Colon cancer can be deadly or result in the removal of the rectum if left untreated. But, if found in time, it is almost 90 per cent treatable, Agyemang said, 'And people can live their full life.' The GN's screening program has rolled out to all Qikiqtani and Kivalliq communities. When the rollout continues in Kitikmeot later this year, the inflatable colon will make appearances in Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk. A free fecal immunochemical test kit, known as a FIT kit, is one tool Nunavut's health department uses to screen for colorectal cancer, the second most common form of cancer in the territory. (Photo courtesy of the Department of Health) So far, the appearance of the giant colon has resulted in an 'uptake' in screening, and 'some' tests come back positive, Agyemang said. 'As we send the inflatable colon around and we talk about it, it's breaking these barriers, reducing the stigma around colon cancer,' she said. 'People who might have been eligible but are afraid of colonoscopy … Now, their family members also know about it and can encourage them to seek the care that they need.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Globe and Mail
03-07-2025
- Health
- Globe and Mail
Nunavut declares years-long tuberculosis outbreaks over
Nunavut's health department declared an end to years-long tuberculosis outbreaks in two Baffin Island communities on Thursday. Pangnirtung, a hamlet 45 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle, had the largest outbreak of TB in the territory in at least seven years. The outbreak was declared in November, 2021, and resulted in 47 active TB cases and 225 latent or 'sleeping' infections, which are asymptomatic and non-contagious. The outbreak in Pond Inlet, located on the northern tip of Baffin Island, was declared in March, 2023. A total of 13 active and 117 sleeping cases, which can turn into potentially fatal active TB disease, were confirmed over the two-year period. Ekua Agyemang, Nunavut's chief public health officer, said an outbreak, according to Canadian standards, can be declared over when there have been no new, active cases identified over two incubation periods, which is roughly two years. She said it is 'exciting news' to finally announce an end to the two outbreaks. 'It shows the resilience of the community and their willingness to come together to work with us, as well as our partners, NTI (the territorial Inuit organization), and everyone else who has been supportive during this journey,' Dr. Agyemang said. TB is a contagious bacterial disease that can be fatal if left untreated. While TB is rare in most of Canada, it disproportionately affects Inuit communities. In 2023, the rate of TB among Inuit peoples was over 37 times that of the overall Canadian population. The majority of Nunavut's population is Inuit. From the archives | How a Nunavut hamlet's tuberculosis outbreak unfolded without adequate government support Dr. Agyemang said early identification and treatment was key to slowing spread and eventually ending the outbreaks. She said part of this effort required training for health care workers so they could recognize, test and treat TB. A community-wide screening program also took place in the fall of 2023. Community engagement played an important role as well, part of which focused on breaking down stigma and fear of TB due to Canada's history of TB sanatoriums and colonial violence, Dr. Agyemang said. 'Getting people to talk about it, getting survivors to talk about it, getting people who have had the treatment to talk about it, went a long way to break down the stigma, the fear, and encourage people to be to be screened,' she said. The federal government vowed in 2018, during the major territorial outbreak in Qikiqtarjuaq, to eliminate TB in Inuit communities by 2030. The outbreak in Pangnirtung, south of Qikiqtarjuaq and home to roughly 1,500 people, was the largest publicly reported outbreak since. A Globe and Mail investigation published in June, 2022, found that front-line nurses in Pangnirtung were begging for help the previous summer as TB cases multiplied, and as senior health officials dragged their feet on publicly declaring an outbreak. There are still active outbreaks in Nunavut – in Naujaat, located at the northern end of Hudson Bay, and Arviat, on its western shore. Dr. Agyemang said the strategies used in Pangnirtung and Pond Inlet are being replicated in those areas. She said while the outbreak is considered over in both of the Baffin Island communities, meaning there is little risk of TB transmission, surveillance will continue. This includes through preschool, Grade 6 and employment screening programs. 'We only know what we know,' Dr. Agyemang said. 'There are people in the community that over the course of the two years, four years, never came into contact with the health care centre and might have TB. We don't know about them but we know that we've done our due diligence.'
