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VANCOUVER – The Portland Community Dental Clinic will be able to better help people in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside protect themselves from the risk of oral cancers through enhanced dental health education thanks to a $280,000 provincial grant, Community Services Minister Ida Chong announced today.
“Our government is committed to leading the way in healthy living, and this is an opportunity to get some important disease prevention information out to more residents of the inner-city community,” said Chong.
“Educating residents of the Downtown Eastside about the importance of good nutrition and quitting smoking is something the Portland Clinic does already, and now they’ll be able to expand that service,” said Lorne Mayencourt, Vancouver-Burrard MLA.
Since September 2001, the Portland Community Dental Clinic has served adults living in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside community. During that time, the clinic has seen more than 3,500 patients, as well as serving as a teaching opportunity for the University of British Columbia’s school of dentistry.
“We’ve discovered that the rate of oral cancer is approximately 60 times higher with our patients here at this clinic, compared with the general population,” said Liz Evans, executive director of the PHS Community Services Society. “This funding supports us in working with the BC Cancer Agency to expand our awareness materials and reach a broader audience, to reinforce the importance of nutrition and quitting smoking.”
Today’s funding announcement is in addition to a $500,000 endowment fund established in 2004 by the Ministry of Community Services and the Vancouver Agreement. The endowment fund is managed by the University of British Columbia. As well, the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority provides $100,000 per year in operational funding.
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Media Contact: |
Marc Black Ministry of Community Services 250 356-6334 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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