• The life expectancy for First Nations people is 11 years lower than average and this gap is growing
• As of March 31, 2021 there were 9,8501 children in welfare service: 91 per cent of these children are Indigenous
• Premature Mortality Rate (PMR) for all First Nations in Manitoba is three times higher than for other Manitobans. Premature deaths account for 81 per cent of all deaths among First Nations (80 per cent on-reserve and 82 per cent off-reserve) and 35 per cent for among all other Manitobans”
• Suicide rates are significantly higher among all First Nations compared to other Manitobans
• First Nations people have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 representing 26.5 per cent of all COVID-19 cases in Manitoba.
  • 31.2 per cent of hospital admission
  • 41.4 per cent of ICU admissions
  • 19.6 per cent of deaths

NationTalk: Manitoba Health has released the 2022 Health Status of Manitobans Report, written by the Office of the Chief Provincial Public Health Officer to provide an overall assessment of the current health status of Manitobans.

This year’s report, titled Healthy Communities: A Role for Everyone, examines the health gaps between different groups of people in Manitoba and the inequitable practices and conditions that have led to them.

The report also reviews the impact of COVID-19 in Manitoba from August 2020 to March 2022. Public health data showed a relationship between income level, race and severe COVID-19 disease, and the spread of COVID-19 in Manitoba provided a real-time look at how certain groups and populations experience inequitable health outcomes.

Overall, there has been a gradual improvement in the health status of people in Manitoba and a longer life expectancy. However, the data again shows the health of people in Manitoba is not equal, and the gap in health between Indigenous communities and other people in Manitoba is widening.

The report includes a number of important recommendations from the Office of the Chief Provincial Public Health Officer including:

• setting measurable and achievable short-, medium- and long-term targets for improving the health of all Manitobans, including targets to reduce health gaps outlined in the report;
• engaging and working alongside community leaders to address health disparities; and
• continuing to support Indigenous-led responses to health.

Under the Public Health Act, the chief provincial public health officer is required to provide the health minister with a report on the health status of Manitobans for specified four-year periods. This report was delayed due to the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic and the integral role of public health in that response.

To read the full report, visit www.gov.mb.ca/health/cppho/report-2022.html.

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For more information:

• Public information, contact Manitoba Government Inquiry: 1-866-626-4862 or 204-945-3744.
• Media requests for general information, contact Communications and Engagement: newsroom@gov.mb.ca.
• Media requests for ministerial comment, contact Communications and Stakeholder Relations: 204-451-7109.

https://www.gov.mb.ca/health/cppho/docs/health-status-2022.pdf