A new health program designed to reach some of B.C.‘s more remote Aboriginal communities is scheduled to stop in Penticton November 25.

The pilot ActNow BC Road to Health Aboriginal Community Tour is designed to provide access to invaluable testing, screening services and tools to promote health in remote communities, says Mary Polak, Minister of Healthy Living and Sport.

“We're trying to close the health gap," says Polak, speaking at the tour launch in Port Alberni. "These communities don’t always have the same access more central areas in B.C. have.”

"Our goal is to reduce the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and other preventable chronic illness, in these outlying areas."

Polak says in June of this year the program, led by Diabetes and My Nation, travelled to three communities in northern B.C. where more than 300 people were screened and many high risk individuals identified.

“These individuals were counselled and provided with personal medical assistance they had never received before.”

Polak says one of the goals of the program is to provide a workshop for a health-care team in each community on how to establish a program for diabetes prevention and management.

"We welcome this timely community engagement initiative by ActNow BC,"
said B.C. Hereditary Chief Robert Joseph. "This program will be important in helping to improve the health of B.C.'s First Nations."