Ottawa – The air we breathe has a significant impact on the health and wellness of people in Canada and around the world. Lung health can be affected by many factors such as cigarette smoking, e-cigarettes, cannabis inhalation, viral infections, and environmental influences like wildfires and air pollution.
Threats to lung health are inequitable, disproportionately affecting certain groups and communities. For example, people living in rural, remote, or northern communities are more often exposed to poor air quality caused by wildfires. Also, women with lung health conditions are misdiagnosed at higher rates than men, delaying their access to necessary care.
Mark Holland, Minister of Health, announced that the Government of Canada and partners are investing $19.3 million to support nine research teams to study ongoing, new, and emerging threats to lung health. The teams will study a range of lung health concerns, including the impact of poor air quality and wildfire smoke, treatments for lung cancer, and the effects of vaping.
A team led by Dr. Christopher Carlsten at the University of British Columbia will focus on the long-term health effects of wildfire smoke and how exposure to wildfire smoke affects people differently based on age, sex, genetics, exercise habits, and socioeconomic status. Their findings will guide public health advice during wildfire emergencies to help keep people safe.
Dr. David G. Hammond at the University of Waterloo will lead a team following 1,000 young people living in Canada over two years to learn more about their vaping behaviours and the health impacts of vaping. Another team led by Dr. Pamela Ohashi at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre is working to optimize immunotherapies to treat lung cancer.
The Government of Canada is providing funding for this investment through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Lung Association, the Cancer Research Society, GSK, Heart & Stroke, and Mitacs, and in collaboration with the Canadian Thoracic Society, Children’s Healthcare Canada, Cystic Fibrosis Canada, and Health Canada.
“As wildfires become more common in Canada due to climate change, it is more important than ever to address the health effects caused by exposure to wildfire smoke. These research teams’ initiatives will protect people’s lungs against poor air quality and other threats, including cancer, vaping, asthma, and inflammation.” – Mark Holland, Minister of Health