Parliamentarians convene bi-partisan panel to address Lyme disease
Karen Ludwig heard it disturbingly frequently on the campaign trail last summer: constituents complaining of an obscure, little-understood illness that left painful and occasionally debilitating symptoms, and perplexed local health professionals struggling to pinpoint the cause. Lyme disease, the tick-borne illness first identified in New England, had migrated north and was sinking its teeth into […]
Foreign-aid policy review launches, outcome expected in fall
“Women, women, women.” International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau (Compton-Stanstead, Que.) has declared the focus of her portfolio loud and clear. It will be a highlight of the foreign aid policy review she’s undertaking over the next two months, which, after months of anticipation, was finally officially launched on May 18. It’s the first policy review to happen […]
Help girls and women to grow strong
Worldwide, 200-million children are affected by low height-for-age or low-weight-for-height, which causes a weak immune system and decreased cognitive capacity. Tragically, those children have an 11-times higher probability of death than healthy children. Responsible for this problem is malnutrition, which is a long-term process that leads to the lack of nutrients and reduced growth capacities […]
Better food, better health
Virtually every Canadian has heard the common wisdom that, “we are what we eat.” This reflects the basic notion that food and nutrition are primary factors in our health and well-being. Today, eating habits in Canada are contributing to an alarming increase in the prevalence of obesity and other dietary-related health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, […]
Libs don’t have a public safety plan for marijuana legalization
In the six months since Justin Trudeau and the Liberals took office, it has become very clear that they intend to move forward with increased access to marijuana as quickly as possible. Alongside their push for marijuana legalization, they are completely neglecting to put in place proper public safety and treatment options for those addicted […]
Health Canada labelling of homeopathic products get cheers and jeers
There’s a debate in the medical community on whether newly introduced labelling of homeopathic products in Canada is necessary to allow for better decision-making by consumers, or if the new rules throw more uncertainty into the mix and may be dangerous. Health Canada now requires producers of nosode products to clearly state that they are not […]
‘Complete revision’ suggested for Canada’s Food Guide
As Health Canada reviews Canada’s Food Guide, many are demanding that it be drastically overhauled to combat obesity and take into consideration the diversity of the Canadian population. In March, a Senate committee said the guide needs to have a “complete revision.” “One of the important things about the report is that it makes it […]
Health minister faces many challenges
It is a good thing that the new health minister is a medical doctor. It is not so much for her medical knowledge as for the skill set that comes with being a family practitioner. Health Minister Jane Philpott strikes me as a steady hand, a calm, and competent person, capable of managing stress. Which is […]
Ottawa called on to boost community care for children with mental health issues
Some say the federal government needs to invest in community care for children with mental health concerns because a growing number have been going to hospitals, which is taxing on both young people and the health-care system. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, there was a 50 per cent jump in patients between the […]
Indigenous Affairs Committee to call on cabinet to act on native health crisis
The House Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee will be calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet to act on what committee chair Andy Fillmore calls an “unfair” situation in terms of health care for northern Ontario First Nations communities, the Liberal MP told The Hill Times. Last week, Mr. Fillmore (Halifax, N.S.) said his committee is nearing […]
