Ottawa’s official response to MAID committee sparks concerns from all sides

An official response from Ministers Lametti and Duclos provides a window into the government’s views on future legislation.
Canada needs a research institute on environment, health, and well-being

Canada needs a new trans-disciplinary Institute on Environments, Health and Well-being to research links between environmental change, human behaviour, societal organization and health. The institute must engender innovative, evidence-informed actions that not only reduce harm, but improve the natural and built environment by addressing the drivers of environmental change.
Record Alberta opioid deaths in April a ‘blow’ to Conservative focus on recovery, but don’t bet on softened stance: Tory pundit

The Conservative solution to the opioid crisis is not just about reducing deaths, but also keeping streets safe, says Anthony Koch.
Canadians deserve sound scientific information on responsible alcohol consumption

It’s clear that more research is needed to best inform Canadians on their alcohol intake.
Health care in Canada is in crisis

None of the issues affecting our health care are new. What’s new is its continuing deterioration to the point of crisis and the broadening awareness of Canadians that our vaunted publicly-funded health ‘system’ is not what it used to be.
Amid summer staffing crunch, no provinces have yet submitted health-care ‘action plans’ to feds

The outstanding health action plans are an ‘urgent’ matter, but provinces must take the time to get them ‘as close to right as possible’ says the president of the Canadian Medical Association.
The PMPRB has outlived its usefulness

While patients would undoubtedly like lower drug prices, they don’t want PMPRB actions to lead to developers deciding not to launch new medicines in Canada.
Capitalizing on Ottawa’s COVID-19 digital breakthrough: crucial next steps to build on the feds’ digital shift before next crisis

Parliamentarians and all Canadians must reaffirm the importance of the digital shift, and make a non-partisan effort to keep up pressuring the government to continue investing and moving ahead.
More can be done to support fertility to build a fair and healthy future for Canadians

We can advocate for a National Fertility Strategy in Canada and ensure that the Canada Health Act’s principles of universality and accessibility are respected by all provinces. The gift of life should be a right, not a privilege.
Feds’ suicide prevention framework ‘fiscally irresponsible, scientifically invalid,’ and ‘made people feel good’ without results, say Senators

Senator Ratna Omidvar says an updated framework will need to focus on the overrepresentation of boys and men in Canada’s suicide rate.