Juliet Guichon to receive National Public Health Hero Award

Juliet Guichon, Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Health Scienes, is being honoured with the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) National Public Health Hero Award. The award, created to broaden awareness and understanding of public health, recognizes members of the Canadian public for their significant contributions and exceptional commitment to promoting and protecting the health of Canadians.  Dr. Guichon will be presented with the award on May 28th, 2014 at the CPHA Annual Conference in Toronto.

More women will live because of Juliet Guichon! Fewer women will suffer from cervical cancer and related maladies because they will receive the HPV vaccine at school as children, thanks to Juliet’s courage, perseverance and strategic activism.

Starting in January 2009, the HPV vaccine bans in publicly funded Catholic schools were challenged by Juliet through correspondence, the media and presentations to 12 Canadian school districts: 10 in Alberta, and 1 each in Ontario and the Northwest Territories.  Inspired by Juliet, more than 250 people joined HPV Calgary and HPV Canada and enthusiastically contributed their expertise to this important public health endeavour.

Members include HPV sufferers, physicians, epidemiologists, public policy experts, communication and IT professionals as well as community leaders. Through their combined efforts and Juliet’s skillful leadership, the HPV vaccine bans have been removed in 11 school districts; the 12th went to a vote on April 16, 2014.

Thousands of girls have already benefited from the defeat of these bans. For example, Calgary’s Catholic School Board’s 3-year ban affected approximately 16,000 girls. Vaccine uptake rose from 18.9% (January 2009) to 70% (January 2013) once public health nurses provided the HPV vaccine at school. Only 3% of eligible girls in Ontario’s Halton Region Catholic schools received all three doses in 2010, but this rate will likely improve significantly due to the November 5, 2013 ban reversal.

By combining the science and art of promoting health and preventing disease through HPV Canada, Juliet Guichon shines as an outstanding public health leader!

Source: Canadian Public Health Association