The following was written by Sue Paish, board chair of the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and president and CEO of LifeLabs Medical Laboratories.
British Columbia has the highest life expectancy, the best cancer outcomes, and the lowest obesity rate among all Canadian provinces.
How do we fare so well? What has this province done that results in our citizens living longer and healthier lives than residents of any other province?
There is no doubt that part of the reason is that B.C. is home to a vibrant research community that ranks among the world’s leaders in developing new treatments and responding to emerging health threats. Made-in-B.C. solutions are transforming the response to global health issues, including HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, and H1N1 influenza.
The research community is also an important catalyst for innovation and economic development that creates high-quality “knowledge economy” jobs and attracts billions of dollars in investment to B.C.
In our colleges and universities, our hospitals, and our communities, a critical mass of researchers are asking and finding the answers to questions that are essential to improving the health of British Columbians. At the same time, they are exploring new means of effectively delivering health care services in our rapidly changing world where demand for health care is spiralling upwards while the ability of the public purse to pay is becoming increasingly constrained.