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.
Healthy Child Manitoba
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.
province wide 204 789 3500
Childhood immunizations
Children in Manitoba can get free immunizations 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 protected from diphtheria, tetanus (lockjaw), pertussis
(whooping cough),
polio, haemophilus influenzae B, red and German measles, mumps and
hepatitis B. A variety of newer vaccines, such as varicella
(chickenpox),
meningitis and pneumonia conjugate, are offered free to “high-risk”
individuals. To learn more, talk to your family doctor or the public
health
nurse in your regional health authority. A childhood immunization
schedule
is available online.
Childhood Immunization Schedule
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.
Visit our website for more information:
Injury Prevention
In motion
In motion is a provincial strategy to help all Manitobans 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.
www.manitobainmotion.ca
Winnipeg 945 3648
toll free 1 866 788 3648
Tobacco use reduction
Tobacco eventually kills half of the people who get hooked on it. This year tobacco will kill about 2,000 Manitobans.
The good news is that those who make it to adulthood without using tobacco will probably stay tobacco-free for life.
That’s why Manitoba’s comprehensive tobacco control strategy is:
The Canadian Tobacco |
- 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 sell 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 selling 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:
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 and 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.
New laws help parents take action to get their children treatment when young people have serious drug addictions. 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.
Diabetes and chronic disease prevention
Some activities can help prevent or delay the onset of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Manitoba Healthy Living helps individuals, families, communities and government do more to prevent chronic disease and stay healthy.
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
Communities and governments help keep people healthier by:
- developing walking or biking trails
- promoting active and safe routes to schools
- developing community gardens
- helping keep kids from smoking, helping smokers quit
Flu prevention
Some Manitobans are especially vulnerable to the flu. To protect them, Manitoba Health 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
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, or to arrange for immunization, talk to your family doctor or public health nurse.
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.
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.
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.
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.
