Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Health and Well-Being
Through the Memorandum of Health and Well-being, the Federal, Provincial and First Nations partners have made a commitment to work collaboratively to improve the health and well-being of First Nations people and to close the gap in health status between First Nations and other Saskatchewan residents.
A key focus of the work in the first year of the MOU was to establish a process to develop a joint First Nations Health and Wellness Plan which will include concrete, collaborative actions to improve health programs and services for First Nations in Saskatchewan. This work resulted in six priority areas: Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Mental Health and Addictions, Strengthening Health Human Resources, Improving Health Care System Experience, Long-Term Care, and Engagement and Involvement. Identifying and implementing collaborative solutions to address short- and long-term priorities will assist in addressing the gaps in services and services that First Nations continue to encounter.
Expert task groups with representatives from First Nations, Health Canada and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health have been tasked with the work to address priority areas and develop specific options and recommendations for collaborative actions that will provide the basis for the development of the Saskatchewan First Nations Health and Wellness Plan.
The MOU Steering Committee will continue to engage First Nation communities and health directors to ensure that their knowledge and experiences help to shape the health and wellness plan. Since the FSIN legislation Resolution in June, 2009, the MOU implementation process and agenda has increasingly been led by the First Nations, rather than by the provincial or federal governments. FSIN Executive, along with other Chiefs met with Federal officials and has gained important support towards a larger Treaty-based agenda.
CURRENT STATUS:
The officials and health directors for the six priority task groups have been identified, their terms of reference approved, and each of the task groups are now meeting. Once the task group reports are provided the recommendations will be integrated into a long-term (Ten Year) First Nation health and wellness plan by FSIN. The first draft is scheduled for the end of Jan 2010.
Health and Social Development Commission Chiefs have made it clear that the program and policy gaps need to be addressed quickly because of the hardships that individual First Nations and families were facing due to lack of medical coverage in many areas. There has been an ongoing effort by the Health and Social Development Secretariat to keep the First Nation priorities at the fore-front. There is also a greater effort by the federal and provincial MOU officials to work towards a short term plan to identify and resolve policy gaps that can be resolved fairly quickly.