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Federal Policy in HealthCanadian Institute of Health Research
The Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) was established in 2000
and has become Canada's premier federal agency for health research. The
CIHR's objective is to create new knowledge and apply this knowledge into
improved health care for Canadians. The CIHR is organized through a
network of 13 "virtual" institutesinstead of centralized facilities with
separate buildings and agencies, the virtual organizations combine
researchers in hospitals, universities and research centres. This allows
for innovative information sharing without having to establish a costly
infrastructure.
The CIHR's strategy focuses on integration and cooperation. Health
research, according to CIHR, allows for coalescence between many different
fields. Robotics, genetics, proteomics, nanotechnology, information
technology, telecommunications, mathematics, managerial expertise and the
humanities all contribute to health research. The combination of these
divergent fields under the banner of health research allows for innovation
and idea sharing that could drastically change health care.
In 2003, health is the largest sector of the knowledge-based economy in
Canada, making more than $100 billion annually and providing jobs
for thousands of Canadians. Numerous experts believe that health will be
the premier field for economic growth in the 21st century. The Canadian
government is equally aware of the potential in health industries and
continues to contribute substantial amounts of money to health sciences.
The CIHR is made up of the following divisions
- Aboriginal Peoples' Health
- Aging
- Cancer Research
- Circulatory and Respiratory Health
- Gender and Health
- Genetics
- Health Services and Policy Research
- Human Development, Child and Youth Health
- Infection and Immunity
- Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis
- Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction
- Nutrition, Diabetes, and Medicine
- Population and Public Health.
The partnership of these divisions creates a coalition that covers the
spectrum of health related issues in Canada.
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