But in the midst of one of the worst public health emergencies we’ve faced in recent memory, there’s still hope. By making a series of videos and downloadable resources with our partners, our goal has been to illustrate how we can all eliminate stigma by changing the way we speak. The overdose crisis and stigma are systemic issues, but you can make a difference on an individual level too. Change starts with an individual.

Social change on this level is inherently slow, but we know we’re making a difference. Over 550,000 people across BC were reached through LifeLab’s patient service centres in just the first month, and we expanded its reach beyond BC through social media. It even made it all the way to Scotland!

We’re so thankful for the support of our incredible partners, LifeLabs and Toward the Heart. Their leadership, support, and commitment to collaboration made this project possible. Just because the campaign has officially come to an end, doesn’t mean this work is over. As part of our Reducing Harms priority, we’re committed to supporting solutions to the overdose crisis, eliminating stigma, and lifting up people with lived experience as experts. We hope you’ll join us in this work by sharing these videos and resources with your friends and family, and leading brave conversations to eliminate stigma in your community.

Stay tuned with what our reducing harms priority will bring in 2020 by signing up for our monthly newsletter, and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The post Shedding Light on Stigma appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.

Last week, Her Excellency, the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, announced 83 new appointments to the Order of Canada. Among the list of Members of the Order of Canada is our very own Dr. Perry Kendall, CM, OBC.

The Order of Canada is one of our country’s highest honours. Dr. Kendall has been recognized for his leadership in the public health sphere both in British Columbia and across the country, notably as an advocate for harm reduction and as a champion for indigenous health.

Dr. Kendall has been one of BC’s most outspoken voices in the ongoing opioid crisis, having been the one to declare the situation a public health emergency in 2016…which unfortunately continues today. He presided over the opening of Insite in Vancouver, the first legal supervised injection site in North America. He said in a 2018 interview with CBC, that one of the main challenges now is changing public opinion. “Over 80% of the people who are now dying are dying because they are using drugs alone. I think a lot of that has to do with the stigma around illegal drug use and dependency.” 

Dr. Kendall also helped create the First Nations Health Authority, a province-wide body dedicated to providing health, addiction and prevention services for First Nations people – the only one of its kind in Canada. 

Perry was appointed as the first Provincial Health Officer for BC in 1999 and held this position for nearly 20 years. During this time, British Columbians dealt with SARS, the H1N1 pandemic, the 2010 Winter Olympics emergency preparedness, as well as the start of the overdose crisis, with Dr Kendall at the helm – advising the public on health issues and the need for legislation and policy/practice change on various public health issues.

We couldn’t be more proud of Dr. Kendall, and to have him on our Board of Directors. For a more complete bio of Dr. Kendall, and all of our Board Members, click through to our Board Member listings. 

The post Board Member Accolades appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.