Ottawa to fund practical aboriginal health solutions: sources

OTTAWA – The federal government is expected to announce a “significant” reorientation of research funding today to pay for test driving leading-edge ideas to deal with some of the problematic areas in aboriginal health.

Government sources tell The Canadian Press that the funding will focus on obesity and diabetes, tuberculosis, oral health and suicide prevent in aboriginal communities.

The money will come from the existing budget of the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.

But sources say it will only be granted to researchers who have buy-in from aboriginal communities to take some of the existing research and apply it on a small scale to see how well it works.

In other words, ivory tower researchers need not apply.

The announcement will come from Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, who has been under fire in her Nunavut riding as well as in Ottawa for her harsh treatment of a UN food envoy who pointed to profound hunger issues in aboriginal communities.