Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the past two years, there have been many questions raised in this House on breast cancer. Today I would like to provide an overview of the extensive work we are doing to address this problem.

In addition to the funding already in place, Cabinet recently approved a Strategic Investment Fund for boards. This funding could be used to implement critical public health programs, including breast cancer screening. Successful screening is based on regular breast self-examination, annual clinical examination and screening mammography for key age groups. Information and teaching on breast self-examination and clinical breast examination is part of the well-women

health programming across the north. A module dealing with this has been part of the Advanced Nursing Skills Program for the past decade.

In 1995, the Department of Health and Social Services issued a set of interim guidelines to help health boards and medical clinics to focus screening services. The guidelines identify ways to improve access for women in the key risk group - ages 50 to 65 for which mammography screening is shown to have the greatest benefit. During the past year, the NWT Working Group on Breast Cancer reviewed and revised these guidelines. The department distributed these guidelines to all boards in December, 1997. Each board will identify issues, related costs and specific actions that need to be examined to ensure that all NWT residents have access to quality breast cancer screening services. The department will provide support to each board in their efforts to establish a cancer screening service best suited to its geographic and cultural situation.