Indigenous Services Minister O’Regan needs a new comms team after two recent exits
Further staffing changes are in the works in Indigenous Services Minister Seamus O’Regan’s office after the recent departure of two staffers, press secretary Rachel Rappaport and director of issues management and media relations Andrew MacKendrick. Both marked their last day in the minister’s office on April 5. Ms. Rappaport and Mr. MacKendrick both began working […]
Make this the last apology about tuberculosis, says reader
On March 8, the prime minister went to Iqaluit to apologize for the awful management of the Inuit tuberculosis crisis several decades ago. Since that time, world leaders have agreed to end the epidemic of tuberculosis by 2030. And they have given themselves a potent tool to accomplish their goal: the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, […]
Pharmacare steps in budget ‘waste of money,’ ‘meaningless’ if they don’t cover all Canadians: academics
The Liberal plan outlined in this year’s budget to launch a new drug agency amounts to another delay on pharmacare, according to NDP health critic Don Davies, while others say it represents a small first step forward. The budget set aside $35-million over four years, starting in 2019–20, to establish a “transition office” to create […]
Liberals propose national school meal program as Canada remains back of pack on children’s nutrition
The Liberal government has proposed creating a national school meal program, which, if implemented, would see Canada join most other advanced economies in the world in having a countrywide school food initiative. In yesterday’s federal budget, the government announced its “intention to work with provinces and territories towards the creation of a National School Food […]
How Ottawa can address food waste
Almost 60 per cent of all food produced in Canada is wasted every year. That’s according to a recent study from Value Chain Management and Second Harvest. While that headline grabbed media attention, the results of the study deserve further examination. Yes, 58 per cent of all the food that is produced in Canada is […]
When it comes to our mental health, don’t forget the social media connection
It takes just one simple online search to uncover all sorts of dangers of social media. From lost productivity to impairing sleep, there has been no lack of research and experts calling out the downside of social media. One area in particular that often makes headlines is how social media is harming our mental health. […]
To fix a disconnected health-care system, Ontario must tackle interoperability head on
The Ontario government announced recently that it is consolidating local and provincial health organizations to create a central super agency, designed to end silos and fix a disconnected system. The system is fragmented for many reasons. A lack of data and information sharing between health-care providers is a persistent problem that has been resistant to […]
Pharmacare report shows government favours ‘incremental,’ ‘middle-course’ approach to reform: observers
A government advisory council’s interim pharmacare report released last week was met with cautious optimism by stakeholder groups, as one researcher said it “hints the council is heading in the right direction,” while critics worry it opens the door for Canada to move away from a public system. The report, released March 6 by the […]
Canada should do its part in the next round of funding to fight diseases
It’s time for Canada to provide its share of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, due for replenishment this year. A fully funded Global Fund will cut the death toll of HIV, malaria, and TB in half, saving 16 million lives—almost half the population of Canada—and provide an economic boost for the […]
Canadians are clear on pharmacare: will the government listen?
A new federal budget will be introduced on March 19 and it will be the last before next fall’s federal election. The content of that budget will signal our government’s intentions on key issues relating to the health and wellbeing of Canadians. Many will be watching closely for what could amount to a historic expansion […]
