Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de santé publique
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Can J Public Health · May 2013
Development and implementation of an opioid overdose prevention and response program in Toronto, Ontario.
We describe the development of the first community-based opioid overdose prevention and response program with naloxone distribution offered by a public health unit in Canada (Prevent Overdose in Toronto, POINT). ⋯ We are encouraged by the initial development and implementation experience with the naloxone program and its potential to save lives in Toronto. We have planned short-, intermediate-, and long-term process and outcome evaluations.
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Can J Public Health · May 2013
Contribution and performance of mobile units in an organized mammography screening program.
The aims of this study were to evaluate the contribution of mobile mammography units to participation rate and to compare their performance to fixed screening centres within the organized mammography screening program of Quebec, Canada. ⋯ In this program, mobile mammography units allowed regions lacking a fixed centre to attain participation rates slightly higher than those in the rest of Quebec, without loss of sensitivity and with some gain in the false-positive rate.
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Major disasters pose significant threats to population health: rapid-onset crises can result in a massive loss of life, while protracted emergencies can result in both direct and indirect adverse effects to population health and livelihoods. In many cases, windows of opportunity present themselves to mitigate the effects of emergencies, but these opportunities must be seized and acted upon. ⋯ The public health community must serve as strong advocates for interventions to address worsening public health situations before they tip into crisis, and should be advocates for the reconceptualization and reform of priority setting in international development. The failure to do so quite clearly comes at the expense of some of the world's most vulnerable populations.