Canada’s mental health agenda should address mental health in the workplace
On any given day, 500,000 Canadians are unable to work, due to mental health-related challenges. In our Healthy Brains at Work research, the numbers provide an even more precise look at mental health in the workplace. If all employed Canadians living with depression received the appropriate care, 1.2 million people could work full time and […]
Mental Health Policy Briefing
Cancer drugs costly for many Canadians, free for others
Prescription drug coverage is a major problem in Canada. Canadians not only pay significantly more for medication than consumers in many other developed countries but many inequities in access exist. One’s age, profession, health needs, and province of residence often determine to what extent one qualifies for public drug coverage. This has devastating effects for […]
New Chinese envoy arrives in Ottawa
As Canada’s dispute with the Chinese government nears its 10-month mark, a new Chinese envoy has started his posting in Ottawa. Cong Peiwu officially took up his ambassadorial duties after presenting his Letter of Credence to Canada’s chief of protocol Stewart Wheeler on Sept. 23. He arrived in Ottawa on Sept. 22, according to the […]
Statistics say: biotechnology in Canada
Biotechnology is a rapidly evolving industry. It is also somewhat misunderstood. Biotech has wide-ranging applications outside of the most obvious field, medicine. These graphs seek to answer some basic questions on the state of the biotech industry in Canada. According to the 2018 Deloitte Biotech Industry Data survey, nearly half (45 per cent) of Canadian […]
Unleashing productivity growth through open science innovation
Canadian labour productivity is negative this year. As a country, we are producing less, while using more resources. For the first time, the federal government created an innovation strategy aimed at reversing this. While its effects have yet to reach the economy, the strategy still remains tentative. We need to do more: develop innovative approaches […]
Potential agricultural, human health benefits of gene editing outweigh risks
Gene editing is the latest technology focused on modifying the DNA of a species that offers the potential for large improvements in human, animal, and environmental health. The benefits could be particularly great for the world’s poorest—Bill Gates claims gene editing can help lift millions out of poverty through reducing food insecurity and human health […]
ISED working with BIOTECanada to get better, much-needed industry data
BIOTECanada, the industry association that represents more than 200 Canadian biotechnology companies, has been in talks with Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada for “over a year” in an effort to get much-needed, comprehensive federal statistics on the biotechnology industry in Canada, says BIOTECanada president Andrew Casey. The department did not respond directly to questions […]
Outdated data infrastructure is stifling Canadian innovation in health
When clinicians care for patients, we generate enormous amounts of electronic clinical data. Every blood test, X-ray, or medication forms a rich repository of information. Combined across the health system, these billions of data points are the kind of ‘big data’ that could be used to improve patient care, make the health system more efficient […]
Canada needs a biotech strategy to turn scientific capital into commercial gold
TORONTO—Canada is rich in the scientific capital needed to make us a serious player in the transformative world of biotechnology. This capital is the new knowledge generated in our universities, where researchers are seeking ways in which biological technologies can be used to address the grand challenges in life sciences, agriculture and food, the environment, […]
