Three Manitoba charities have come together to bring a comprehensive screening and education program to Aboriginal communities in the province. Val Dunphy says the Heart and Stroke Foundation in Manitoba, National Aboriginal Diabetes Association and The Kidney Foundation of Canada - Manitoba Branch plan to roll out their Healthier Together: Mobile Screening and Education for Aboriginal Peoples in Manitoba program. "It is a unique collaboration and I think we'd like to see a lot more of it in our communities, even see this type of collaboration nationally."

"Together we can really offer all the screening that most people will need or want," explains Dunphy. She adds the mobile clinics will help First Nations, Inuit and Metis people learn more about chronic health risks and how to prevent them, noting Manitoba has some of the highest rates in Canada when it comes to diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

While she says the Kidney Foundation continues to hold its own mobile clinics, Dunphy explains it isn't able to host as many on site tests as these joint clinics.

"What we're going to doing with healthcare will be testing for diabetes, cholesteral, the functionality of the kidneys, we'll advise people as to their body max index and give some guidance on that and then the test results will be reviewed by the registered pharmacists and they'll get one on one councilling."

The hope is follow up these clinics with an assessment of the needs in the community and offer various education sessions.

"For example, if we find one community has a lot of smokers we may then provide a smoking cessation workshop or something else in that regard. We're really going to try and customize the education programs that follow our screening clinics and make it really useful to the community. That's our hope and plan.

While the clinics are only open to adults aged eighteen and older, Dunphy says the education sessions are available to everyone in the community.

There will be thirty clinics and education workshops provided to communities free of charge this year, thanks to corporate sponsors that agreed to cover the costs associated with the campaign.

Aboriginal communities and organizations that serve First Nation, Inuit, and Metis populations in Manitoba are invited to apply for these free screening clinics and workshops. Deadline for applications is September 18.