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Lobbying Coordinator’s Report Free Advice Disposition of the Resolutions By Anne Dyas From the Cochrane District I That a rabies vaccine be available at no cost to livestock producers immediately upon report ofa rabies outbreak in that part of Ontario. No response to date. Regarding: I covering all affected and outlying areas with air drops of rabies vaccine bait pellets. I coordinating with other agencies to curb the spread of this disease. Response from the Ministry ofNatural Re- sources (MNR). Des McKee, Assistant Deputy Minister. Science and Information Resources Division, MNR has a department called the Rabies Research and Development Unit with “a mandate for control and eradication of rabies from wildlife in Ontario..." work- ing in partnership with human and animal health practitioners. police. agriculture and environmental agencies at federal, provincial and local levels. “Ontario is a recognized world leader in the research, development and delivery of rabies vac- cine using aircraft to immunize wildlife over large areas." Bait drops occur in August and September to maximize vac- cine uptake in both adult and young foxes. Vaccine laden bait drops are made in areas in Ontario where rabies is present based on federal data from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Fox baits are dropped. when recommended. primarily in south central and eastern Ontario and rat:- coon baits in eastern Ontario. In the fall of 2001. more than 100,000 ‘Arctic Fox' strain baits were dropped in the Sudbury-Nipissing area. This fall. 600,000 fox vaccine baits will be dropped in rural areas of south central and western Ontario, and possibly parts of northeastern Ontario. The 2002 baiting zone will be determined from cases reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. About 6 Home & Country, Summer 2001 500.000 baits will be dropped this fall in rural areas around the outbreak in eastern Ontario. In addition to baiting. raccoons and skunks along the Ontario-US border will be trapped, vaccinated and released. “Your organization could assist in in- creasing public awareness by encouraging agricultural operators to report any suspi- cious livestock-wildlife interactions and by encouraging all citizens of Ontario to have their pets vaccinated against this dis- ease," Current information can be found at www.mnrgov.onca/mnr/rabies Any level of FWIO wishing to have a speaker from the Rabies Research and Development Unit should contact Dr. .I. Chris Davres. Manager of Wildlife Research at 705-755-1560. Past Premier Harris also acknowledged receipt ofour resolution and sent it to John Snobelen. Minister of Natural Resources. to whom we had also sent the resolution. The Resolutions Committee has submit- ted recommendations to Board with regard to the resolutions sustained at the Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW) Conference. Two other resolu- tions â€" one from the Niagara District re: raising the age ofconsent to sexual activity to at least l6 years of age. and the other from the Cochrane District re: removing the GST from feminine protection prodâ€" UClS 7 are presently under consideration by the Committee. There have been no responses to date from the resolutions sustained at the FWIO Annual Meeting. Anne Dyes is the Interim Lobbying Coordinator for the Federated Women’s institutes of Ontario. She can be reached at RR 3. Cochrane 0N POL 160, Phone/Fax: 705272-5886. from a Health Professional What is Telehealth Ontario? Telehealth Ontario is a free, confidential telephone service you can call to get health advice or gen- eral health information from a Registered Nurse. That means quick. easy access to a qualified health professional, who can assess your symp- toms and help you decide your best first step. How does Telehealth Ontario work? When you call 1<866~797-0000. you will be talking directly with a Registered Nurse. You will be asked to describe your symptoms and answer questions to best assess the seriousness of the problem. Based on the assessment, the Registered Nurse can advise self-care. recommend a visit to a health practitioner, give you the phone numbers of community resources nearest to you or recom- mend that you go to a hospital emergency room. When should you call? When you have a gen- eral health question call Telehealth. Within minutes your questions will be answered. prov. log you with peace of mind. A call to Telehea will give you confidential advice aboutany health related concerns. such as symptoms that could requrre medical attention. illness or injury, chronic illnesses. nutrition and health lifestyles. The Telehealth Ontario nurses are highly skilled. have many years of nursing experience and are trained to help callers make decisions about appropriate options for care. They can direct you to a pharmacist who can answer ques- tions or they can direct you to clinics near your location. It is provided to residents of Ontario by the Government of Cinema and is free to all users. You do not need an Ontario Health Insur- ance number to talk to a Teleheallh nurse. Telehealth Ontario was launched province wide on December 3, 2001. They receive four to five thousand calls a day. Your call is answered within one minute. Fifty percent of calls are from 3:00 pm. to 11:00 p.m,. forty percent of the calls are about children. thirty percent of users call about symptoms and ten percent are requesting health information. Have you got this number posted? 1-866-797-0000 Wouldn't a phone call be better than a tour h wait at an emergency department? v Submitted by Glenna Smith who is serving an the Southwest Telehealth Ontario Advisory Committee. Glenna is a member of the Arkeil WI, Wellington South.