Health Promotion and Protection
Welcome to the Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion and Protection. By bringing together experts in health promotion, prevention and protection, we are taking a critical step forward in creating a healthier and safer province for our citizens today – and tomorrow.
We'd like to share with you our Business Plan for the upcoming year. It is more than business as usual. The work involved will range from improving access to physical activity through facility and school grants, preparing for health threats such as pandemic influenza, and providing information, services and supports to future generations through Youth Health Centres.
We are planning for the future health and safety of all Nova Scotians.
H1N1 (Human Swine Influenza) Update
As you may know, on June 11, the World Health Organization declared a Level 6 H1N1 (human swine influenza) pandemic, based on the transmission patterns of this new influenza virus around the world. This simply means the virus has spread to more locations; it does not mean the virus is more severe.
This was not a surprise. We were aware that this might happen, and we are prepared for it.
In most situations, the cases we’ve seen here in Nova Scotia have been typical flu-like illness, which patients can treat at home. We continue, however, to take the virus seriously. We are preparing for the possibility that Nova Scotia might see an increase in the frequency and severity of H1N1 (human swine influenza) cases, with more people requiring hospitalization.
H1N1 (Human Swine Influenza) Update, June 30
Mise à jour sur le virus H1N1 (grippe porcine chez l'être humain), le 30 juin
Featured Story
Annual beach supervision to resume
This year marks the 37th year of operations for the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service (NSLS), the organization responsible for the supervision of the beaches of several provincial parks in Nova Scotia . Starting July 1st and continuing until August 30th, beaches will be supervised from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily.
Since 1973, the NSLS has enjoyed a perfect record of "no drowning" on its beaches during the hours of supervision. During that time, the NSLS has supervised approximately 16 million people, made over 3,100 rescues and completed over 1,340 beach projects.
Each year an estimated 500,000 individuals visit the NSLS supervised beaches, with approximately 100 rescues taking place each season and countless more injuries being prevented by lifeguard intervention. In 2008, the NSLS lifeguards made more than 8,000 public interventions on its beaches.
Over 60 lifeguards, many of whom are university students from around Nova Scotia , are employed with NSLS. They are certified in Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Standard First Aid and hold their National Lifeguard Service (NLS) award. These lifeguards also attend a four-day intensive training camp prior to the start of the season, allowing the guards to keep their training and skills in peak performance.
While on NSLS supervised beaches you are encouraged to follow some simple guidelines. Make sure to swim between the red and yellow flags, marking the supervised portion of the beach and while on the beach, parents are reminded to keep their children within arms reach.
Remember, it is illegal to consume alcohol on beaches. An overwhelming number of drowning and water-related incidents are tied to alcohol consumption and can be easily prevented by not consuming alcohol on beaches or entering beach areas under influences of alcohol.
The NSLS is a joint project of the Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion and Protection and the Lifesaving Society, Nova Scotia Branch. For more information on beach supervision or training as a lifeguard please visit www.nsls.ns.ca .
The beaches supervised by NSLS guards are as follows:
Cape Breton County |
Mira Gut Beach |
Cumberland County |
Heather Beach |
Digby County |
Mavillette Beach * |
Halifax County |
Clam Harbour Beach * |
Inverness County |
Inverness Beach |
Kings County |
Aylesford Lake Beach |
Lunenburg County |
Rissers Beach |
Pictou County |
Melmerby Beach |
Yarmouth County |
Lake Ellenwood Beach |
Antigonish County |
Bayfield Beach |
* Supervision occurs on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) only.
News Releases
- Lifeguards Work Toward Another Safe Season in the Water
-
Jun.
30, 2009 -
3:16 PM
NOTE: A list of supervised beaches follows this release. Some of Nova Scotia's most popular beaches are set to open their supervised seasons on Wednesday, July 1, and the province's lifeguards are ready for the task. (full text) - Mise à jour sur le virus H1N1 (grippe porcine chez l'être humain), le 30 juin
-
Jun.
30, 2009 -
1:01 PM
Des cas du virus H1N1 (grippe porcine chez l'être humain) continuent d'être signalés en Nouvelle-Écosse. Trois cas supplémentaires d'hospitalisation ont été confirmés aujourd'hui 30 juin dans la régie régionale de la santé Capital et au centre de santé IWK. (full text) - H1N1 (Human Swine Influenza) Update, June 30
-
Jun.
30, 2009 -
1:00 PM
Cases of H1N1 (human swine influenza) continue to be reported in Nova Scotia. Three additional hospitalized cases were confirmed today, June 30, within the Capital District Health Authority and the IWK. (full text) - Athletes Testing State of the Art Starting System
-
Jun.
26, 2009 -
4:02 PM
Athletes from across Canada will test a new state-of-the-art starting system Saturday, June 27, and Sunday, June 28, on Lake Banook in Dartmouth. The system will be one of the legacies of Canoe '09, the 2009 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships. (full text) - Mise à jour sur le virus H1N1 (grippe porcine chez l'être humain), le 11 juin
-
Jun.
11, 2009 -
3:51 PM
REMARQUE : Une version « médias sociaux » de ce communiqué de presse, accompagnée de photos, d'audioclips et de vidéo clips, sera disponible plus tard aujourd'hui (en anglais seulement) sur le site www.gov.ns.ca/news/smr/20090611002HEALTH-HPP.asp . Le système de santé publique de la Nouvelle-Écosse continue de surveiller le virus H1N1 (grippe porcine chez l'être humain) et de réagir en conséquence. La décision prise aujourd'hui 11 juin par l'Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS) d'augmenter l'alerte pandémique au niveau 6 ne change rien au processus pour l'instant. (full text)
*Some files on this website require the free Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader for viewing.
The free Adobe Acrobat Reader is available here.
