Policy and Politics

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by Sara Al Sharani Mohammad Yasir Essar Mujja Alloba Gabriel E. Fabreau

Refugee youth and the right to learn: An investment that pays dividends

More than 123 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced by war, violence and climate-related disasters between 2016-2025. Now, following sweeping United States policies, many high-income countries are restricting refugee access to asylum, education and work. Against this backdrop, last September we published the Halifax Declaration arguing for a different approach: one that recognizes displaced people not as passive aid recipients, but as partners in building resilient health, education and social systems.
by A group of women in Toronto who have used drugs

‘Protecting’ Ontario or putting lives in danger?

By now, just about everyone has seen or heard Doug Ford’s ad campaign claiming that the current premier seeks to Protect Ontario. It’s crystal clear that Ford’s version of “safety” only applies to a fraction of his constituents.
by Muhammad Saim

What Alberta gets wrong About Medical Assistance in Dying

Few issues in medicine are as ethically complex and important as medical assistance in dying, (MAiD). Reasonable people can disagree about where eligibility should begin and end, how at-risk individuals should be protected, and what safeguards are necessary before an irreversible decision is made. But Alberta's Bill 18, the Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act, moves the conversation in the wrong direction.
by Mubariz Maqsood

When health advice becomes political identity

For years, we talked about health misinformation as if it were mainly a knowledge problem: patients encountering false claims online, doctors correcting them and the better information winning.
by Tara Kiran

Every jurisdiction in Canada needs a Primary Care Act

Just over a year ago, the government of Ontario passed landmark legislation that puts primary care – the care most often delivered by family doctors – at the foundation of the health-care system.
by Amal Khan

Disconnected by design: How fragmented health data is failing Canadian patients

Patients living in Canadian rural and remote communities often move across multiple systems simply to access basic care. Bill S-5 represents an important first step toward addressing a problem.

by Lana Cho

The healing reach of art: Creative insights from participants and practitioners

If we are serious about improving health outcomes, particularly for populations navigating systemic barriers, creative expression should not be treated as an add-on. It should be recognized as a practical, accessible component of care.
by Natalie Fung Saad Ahmed Kar Yin Michelle Au Ripudaman Singh Minhas

Young people aren’t avoiding conversations about sexual health – they’re avoiding judgment

Youth are already talking about sexual health online every day. The question is whether trusted institutions are willing to meet them there – not with judgment, but with honesty, empathy and respect. 
by Maddie O’Connor

Lifestyle medicine vs. wellness culture: Evidence-based preventative care should not be a luxury product

Evidence-based preventative care should not become a luxury product or a marketplace trend. It should remain a core part of accessible public health care.
by Christen Kong

Beyond attachment: The role of community artists in newcomer primary care

Community artists help humanize both health care and settlement experiences by creating accessible, relational entry points.
by Mubariz Maqsood

Alberta’s change in digital health policy raises risks for adolescents

In Alberta, a recent change to MyHealth Records expanded parent and guardian access to children’s online health information, which could put some youth at risk.

by Lynn Ashdown

Embracing disability consciousness: Elevating diverse voices in medical education

As health care is paying more attention to disability education in recent years, it’s important that when including disability voices, we ensure diversity of disabled voices as well.     
by Emily McCullogh Alix Krahn

Where is the care for coaches in the Safe Sport movement?

Sport is a space that offers opportunities to experience great joy and excitement, as well sorrow and disappointment. More importantly, sport (at all levels) relies on coaches to support athletes throughout this emotional journey. But who supports the coaches?
by Abrar Ahmed

Closing safe injection sites is not a solution

"My psychiatry professor did not celebrate her patient’s drinking. She recognized it for what it was: a coping mechanism that kept her patient alive long enough to seek help. Supervised consumption sites are similar in that sense. They are not the end of the story."
by Christine Leong

Pharmacists are often the first to see mental health issues. They should be trained to respond

Mental Health First Aid training could strengthen pharmacists' ability to assist patients in distress and could serve as a vital first touch point for patient care.

by Glen Bandiera Alexis Milligan

Expertise waiting in the wings: Including the arts into the centre of care

The arts can have a pivotal role to play in alleviating burnout amongst medical professionals.

by Katie Dorman

CSC policy change endangers health and lives in correctional facilities

The alarming number of overdose deaths in Canadian correctional facilities warrant an urgent, multi-faceted response from the federal government.
by Larry W. Chambers

Blood tests for Alzheimer’s are here – but Canada isn’t ready

Blood‑based biomarkers offer a real opportunity to improve dementia care – but only if we redesign our systems to use them wisely.
by Lawrence Loh

Summer’s almost here. Are you still upset about changing to daylight saving time?

Spring and summer moves between daylight and standard time represents a compromise. It’s about health across the months, not just in the immediate moment of the change.
by Margot Burnell

Beyond burnout: Why a thriving medical profession is essential for patient care

If we are serious about fixing health care in Canada, physician wellness can’t be an afterthought. It must be part of the cure.

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