Our Healthbox

107

People reached

168

Wellness supplies accessed

Lifesaving naloxone kits dispensed

HIV self-test kits accessed to ‘know your status'

Sexual health items provided

Supplies accessed to reduce harm

"We are proud to be champions of Our North Bay Healthbox. By offering easier access to free harm reduction supplies, self-testing kits, and personal care items, we hope to meet people where they are at and support them in their journey toward better health and well-being."

Dr. Carol Zimbalatti, Medical Officer of Health North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit

"Our Healthbox is a necessity of life – it removes barriers and offers safe access to harm reduction supplies in a non-stigmatizing way, which is important for our community."

Brittany Porter, Community Peer

"Giving people access to what they need when they need it is not only an act of community care, but also good public health care."

Saskia Hildebrandt, Hepatitis C Treatment Nurse AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area

"This innovative tool will complement the efforts of the Peer Outreach Support Team by providing 24/7 access to harm-reduction supplies and essential health products. Our Healthbox empowers individuals to make safer choices and connect to the care they need when they need it."

Donna Forget, Manager Nipissing First Nation - True Self/Debwewendizwin Program

LAUNCHED:

June 11, 2025

North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit

345 Oak Street West North Bay, Ontario P1B 2T2 705-474-1400

The North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit <span class="text-color-beige1">promotes health, prevents disease, protects from hazards,</span> and prepares for emergencies to build strong, healthy communities.

Northern Ontario has been grappling with a significant increase in opioid-related overdoses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

This crisis has hit harder in some communities than others, with the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit (Health Unit) region seeing a significant increase in drug poisoning related deaths.

Before the pandemic, the region had an average of 14 opioid-related deaths per 100,000 people. During the pandemic, that number more than doubled to 36.4 deaths per 100,000.

This sharp rise in substance use and drug poisoning-related fatalities highlighted an urgent need for innovative and supportive strategies to help reduce these deaths and other harms.

For the residents of North Bay, Our Healthbox provides a vital bridge during the after-hour gaps in service. It allows for discreet, stigma-free access to harm reduction materials, empowering individuals to make safer choices.

The inclusion of safe sharps disposal supplies (sharps containers) will also help address the growing issue of discarded needles in the community, improving public safety and the overall physical environment.

North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit

Our Community, Our Healthbox

Our Community, Our Healthbox

The North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit <span class="text-color-beige1">promotes health, prevents disease, protects from hazards,</span> and prepares for emergencies to build strong, healthy communities.