disease prevention

There’s a better way to screen for cervical cancer

Eduardo Franco HPV cervical cancer

When it comes to cervical cancer, the attention is centred on the vaccine for Human Papillomaviruses (HPV). It’s an incredible development, and I am hopeful that one day the HPV vaccine could render cervical cancer a killer of the past. But there’s another innovation – called the HPV test – that could be harnessed immediately

Ontario must rethink alcohol sales

Over the past five years, provincial legislative changes have made alcohol more accessible in Ontario. The structure of alcohol distribution has now become increasingly permissive due to the loosening of historical controls on a harmful substance. The trajectory of alcohol policy continues to become increasingly adverse to the health and well-being of Ontarians.  Consider the

Canada’s dirty air: how pollution is hurting our health

This summer, record numbers of forest fires in Western Canada made air pollution impossible to ignore. Eerie photos of the smoky skies of Vancouver made the news – then disappeared after the air cleared. But the threat remains. Air pollution contributes to asthma, COPD and cardiovascular disease. And high background levels are often more harmful than

Is wisdom teeth removal really warranted?

In her 20s, Nancy Fornasiero’s dentist told her that her wisdom teeth should come out. They were impacted, which means they were stuck below the gums because they didn’t have enough room. She was warned that the teeth were more prone to decay and infection than other teeth, and that they should be removed before

It’s not just about you – screw the flu!

Seema Marwaha

The Ontario Nurses Association (ONA) recently won an arbitration against Sault Area Hospital striking down their ‘vaccinate-or-mask’ policy. The arbitrator Jim Hayes found the policy was unreasonable, and a “coercive” tool to force heath-care workers to get a flu shot.  While this decision is only binding to Sault Area Hospital, many hospitals across Ontario will