Manitoba Health
Healthy living - helping you and your family stay healthier
Keeping our kids healthy
Healthy
Child Manitoba
The Manitoba government established Healthy Child Manitoba to improve
the health and well-being of children, youth and their families.
Nutrition, literacy and parenting education are available in many
Manitoba communities.
Healthy Child also offers the world-renowned Positive Parenting Program to all Manitoba parents and children. “Triple P” as it’s called, helps parents develop simple routines and make small changes that make a big difference for families.
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Healthy Smile/Happy Child
The Healthy Smile/Happy Child Early Childhood Tooth Decay Prevention
Project
focuses on teaching and educating young parents and mothers-to-be
about
the importance of proper nutrition and dental hygiene. This unique
project
focuses on reaching young children and their parents in settings
where they
interact with service providers, such
as early childhood education facilities.
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Childhood immunizations
Children in Manitoba can get free immunizations (also known as baby shots or vaccines) to help protect them from serious childhood diseases that could do long-term damage to their health. Starting at age two months and over the course of their childhood, children are offered vaccines to protect them against diphtheria, tetanus (lockjaw), pertussis (whooping cough), polio, haemophilus influenzae B, pneumococcal infections, influenza (the flu), varicella (chicken pox), red and German measles, mumps, meningitis and hepatitis B. Beginning fall 2008, a school-based HPV immunization program is offered to girls in grade 6, to protect against HPV-related diseases linked to cervical cancer. In Manitoba, immunization is voluntary.
To learn more, talk to your doctor or the public health nurse in your health region.
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Child injury prevention
More Manitoba children are hospitalized or die because of injury
than any other cause. Most of these injuries are preventable and
many happen right at home. You can learn how to prevent injuries,
make your home safe and make activities like cycling safer. 
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In motion
Manitoba in motion is a provincial strategy to help everyone make physical activity part of their daily lives for health and enjoyment. The Manitoba government has joined with community partners in physical activity, health, healthy living, sport and education to raise activity levels and reduce barriers to physical activity.
Physical
activity:
- increases energy
- reduces stress
- strengthens the heart and lungs
- helps us reach and maintain a healthy body weight
The result is a better quality of life for people of all ages.
Find out how you can incorporate activity into your and your family’s everyday life and bring in motion to your school, community or workplace.
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Healthy eating
Visit the Manitoba Healthy Living website for links to nutrition programs, services and resources that support Manitobans in making healthy eating choices. You can also find out more about nutrition in schools, information about infant feeding and healthy food and beverage choices for meetings and other workplace gatherings.
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Tobacco use reduction
Tobacco use is a risk factor for many chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. In Manitoba, smoking is linked to more than 1,300 deaths every year.
That’s why Manitoba’s comprehensive tobacco control strategy is:
The Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey shows that the percentage of Manitoba youth, ages 15–19 who smoke daily has fallen from 22% in 1999 to 11% in 2007. |
- preventing children and youth from starting to smoke, by giving
parents
tools for talking to their kids about smoking, bringing graphic
messages
about the risks of tobacco to
high schools, and making it illegal to display or supply tobacco products to young people - helping smokers quit, by connecting
them with trained smoking cessation
counsellors at the Smokers’ Helpline
toll-free 1-877-513-5333 - protecting nonsmokers from secondhand smoke, by prohibiting smoking in enclosed public places and indoor workplaces
You can help by calling 788-6735 in Winnipeg or toll-free 1-800-392-1207 if you see anyone displaying or supplying tobacco
products to minors or to report any violation of Manitoba’s province-wide
smoking ban.
Visit our website for more information, including a brochure on how to talk with your kids about tobacco:
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Substance abuse prevention
Drug
and substance abuse causes damage to people's health, their lives
and their relationships. To help stop drugs like crystal meth at
their source, the Manitoba government is taking tough action by
restricting the sale of methmaking ingredients; strengthening
laws and increasing policy resources to help shut down meth-making
operations.
The Manitoba government also funds organizations to provide outreach, education and intervention services for youth and their families.
Manitoba has a law that helps parents/guardians take action to get their children treatment
when
young people have serious drug addictions. Support is also available at the Youth Stabilization Unit in Winnipeg, where young Manitobans can get help to withdraw from the acute effects of substance
abuse and work with service providers to consider treatment options.
Contact the Youth Addictions – Centralized Intake Service toll-free at 1-877-710-3999 for information about youth substance abuse programs and services in your community or for assistance in determining your options.
You can download a free brochure to help you talk with your kids about crystal meth and other drugs, and help reduce the chance these substances ever make their way into your home.
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Diabetes and chronic disease prevention
Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, chronic lung and kidney disease and some cancers are examples of preventable chronic diseases. Chronic diseases tend to develop slowly, giving you a chance to make simple lifestyle changes that can make a big difference over time.
You
and your family can be healthier by:
- being physically active every day
- eating more fruits and vegetables
- quitting smoking
- watching less television
- preparing and eating meals together
Living healthier is not just a personal choice. Communities and organizations can also work together to create environments and offer programs that support healthier living by:
- developing walking or biking trails
- promoting active and safe routes to schools
- developing community gardens
- helping keep kids from smoking,
helping smokers quit
Click here to view Manitoba’s Healthy Living Guide or call 1-866-MANITOBA (1-866-626-4862) to be mailed a free copy.
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Flu prevention
Some Manitobans are especially vulnerable to influenza (the flu). To protect
them,
Manitoba Health and Healthy Living offers an immunization program for people at high
risk,
as well as those who could transmit the flu to these high-risk
individuals.
Flu shots are free for those at high risk:
- adults 65 years or older
- babies six to 23 months
- adults and children with chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart and lung disorders or cancer
- residents of personal care homes or chronic care facilities
- children on long-term aspirin treatment
- pregnant women
Flu shots are also free for those who could transmit the flu to people at high risk including:
- health care workers
- staff at drop-in centres
- emergency first responders (police, paramedics, firefighters)
- household contacts of people at high risk who can’t be immunized or may have a poor response to the vaccine
The province also provides free pneumonia shots for those at risk. One “pneumo” shot usually provides a lifetime of protection.
To learn more about eligibility for free flu or pneumonia vaccine, or to arrange for immunization, talk
to your family doctor or public health nurse.
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Sexually transmitted infections
Information and education are key to preventing and treating sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS. For more information on specific infections and how to stay sexually healthy, visit our website or call the STI/AIDS Info Line at 945-2437 in Winnipeg or toll-free 1-800-782-2437.
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Injury prevention
The Manitoba Healthy Living website has links to sites offering information on how to be safer around the water, prevent falls, protect your family from poisonous household products and much more safety advice.
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Food protection
Food-borne illness or contamination can be serious. If you have concerns about food safety, or suspect an episode of food poisoning, contact your regional health authority.
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Safe drinking water
If you are concerned about the drinking water in your home or neighbourhood, call your regional health authority or call Health Links-Info Santé at 788-8200 in Winnipeg or toll-free 1-888-315-9257.
