Policy and Politics

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by Gwyneth Boone

The human cost of fighting COVID in prisons: Solitary confinement, banned for its cruelty, has made a comeback

In 2019, the Ontario Court of Appeals called solitary confinement a form of cruel and unusual punishment. Three years later, federal prisons are still placing prisoners in solitary confinement.
by Daneese Rao

As U.S. Supreme Court prepares to limit abortion rights, Canadian pro-choice advocates say we must stay vigilant

Canadian pro-choice advocates say they are not “naive enough to think that what's happening in the U.S. will never happen in Canada."
by Meghan McGee

‘They’ve grown up disconnected’: Saskatchewan programs aim to reunite Indigenous families, support vulnerable mothers-to-be

The Cowessess First Nation's family care system reunites Indigenous parents with their children, restores cultural connections and helps expectant and new mothers gain labour skills, financial literacy and find housing.
by Jacob J. Shelley

Making schools safe spaces: The legal authority for school boards to enact masking policies

Despite the confusion and the province's edict, Ontario's Education Act clearly gives boards the authority to enact policies aimed at promoting student well-being, meaning they have the right and obligation to impose mask mandates if student health is at stake.
by Graham Dickson

Leaders must explore bureaucratic notions of health-care delivery in a turbulent environment

This month’s Top Three focuses on the public administration of health care as contained within the Canada Health Act and the role of leadership in critically examining our delivery models in light of current social demands.
by Maddi Dellplain

Group pushes for ‘compassion club model’ to address surge of deaths from toxic drug supply

Six years after the B.C. government declared the overdose epidemic a public health emergency, policies have failed to slow the scourge.
by Stephanie Keeling

Medical benefits from cannabis? Still waiting for proof

Today may be April 20, a renowned cannabis counterculture holiday, but four years into legalization we still don't have reliable data about the medical benefits of marijuana.

by Anthony Fong

From music to medicine: Organization strikes a new note at the Ukrainian border

The second installment from Canadian emergency physician and journalist Anthony Fong as he describes his experience at the Ukraine-Polish border, treating Ukrainian refugees fleeing the full-scale invasion of their country.

by Jacob J. Shelley

The end of public health in Ontario

The failure to use section 22 powers during the most devastating public health crisis in the last 100 years signals the end of public health in Ontario. This is a direct result of the inaction of those vested with the power to protect public health.
by Doctors for Planetary Health – West Coast

Health professionals have a role to play in ‘Our Planet, Our Health’

Canadian health professionals have a role to play in protecting and restoring the health of the planet, which is after all the ultimate determinant of the health of the population.

Stuck in the middle with you: The inherent tension faced by medical officers of health

The past year has seen mounting public calls for the resignations of chief medical officers of health, either for being too power hungry or abandoning the public, depending on the complainants’ station and political bent. They are subject to attacks by opposition parties for their complicity, or abandoned by the governing party as scapegoats for policy decisions.
by Trevor Hancock

‘Our planet, our health’ – Making peace with nature

The theme for World Health Day reflects a growing global concern with the health impacts of massive and rapid human-driven ecological changes. While climate change is front of mind, having been recognized as “the single biggest health threat facing humanity” by the WHO as far back as 2008, the changes and challenges we face are far greater than that.
by Melanie Bechard Jasmine Gite

Privatization is not the answer. Solutions for our ailing health-care system are hiding in plain sight

Canada is now at a crossroads. We can either strengthen or surrender one of our greatest assets – our universal, publicly funded health-care system.
by Jennifer A.H. Bell

National child-care program is worth celebrating but new mothers deserve more support

The federal government’s national $10-a-day child care program is cause for celebration. But there is a lot more that still needs to be done in both the public and private sectors to support parents post-partum.

by Anthony Fong

‘I’m not scared of bombs. I’m not scared of war. I became a nurse for a reason’: Volunteers at the Ukraine-Poland border

Canadian emergency physician and journalist Anthony Fong describes his experience at the Ukraine-Polish border, treating Ukrainian refugees fleeing the full-scale invasion of their country.

by Graham Dickson

‘Transformation’ in health care depends on leaders’ people skills

The true challenge of transformation is the need for leaders to see it not as simply a cumulation of changes, reforms or innovations but as a process of collective people change, regardless of the role one plays in health care.
by Maddi Dellplain

Is Canada ready to lift mask mandates? Experts weigh in

As public health restrictions lift across the country, we asked experts to weigh in on whether it's time to do away with mask mandates.
by Abrar Ahmed James Bunker

As we head into a provincial election, it’s time to rethink sick-pay leave

The pandemic has amplified social inequalities in our society as lived experiences have differed vastly based on income. Hourly workers have been disproportionately affected relative to salary workers. For many, a consistent paycheque is crucial to providing necessities such as food and housing.
by Junayd Hussain Vaidhehi Veena Sanmugananthan Noor Al-Kaabi

Health-care behind bars: Equity and accountability in Canada’s correctional services

The Canada Health Act governs publicly funded health-care insurance and protects Canadians’ right of access to universal health care. However, contrary to popular belief, these rights do not apply to federal prisoners, nor are they covered by provincial plans.
by Anthony Fong

‘All the trends paint a dire picture’: B.C. facing looming shortage of family physicians

As many as 40 per cent of British Columbia’s family doctors may retire in the next 10 years, leaving millions in B.C. without a family doctor.

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