Public Health

Expanding access to disability supports: the case for impact investing

Thanks to limited access to interventions and income thresholds that fail to account for the cost of caregiving, families with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities are often left to pay out-of-pocket for services.

We are taught to fix the system – then forced to waste time in it

Every year, medical students across the country must resubmit the same forms verifying their vaccine history. Redundant paperwork like this is a symptom of a system which bureaucracy overrides basic logic.

Trust those who heal, not those who provoke

A Seuss-style rhyme on the very real harm of health misinformation.

Black mistrust is logical and rational: What public health policymakers must learn from Black communities

Black communities are not hesitant just for the sake of it. They are hesitant because of memory. They need structural change built from trust, not just crisis.

Food security is health security: Tackling Type 2 diabetes in Indigenous communities

First Nations on reserve have Type 2 diabetes rates three to five times higher than the rest of Canada. Yet, they remain underserved and underrepresented in health policy and decision-making.

Obesity and food insecurity in Canada: Two sides of the same coin

Addressing food insecurity and obesity together requires a multi-layered, long-term strategy.

#ScienceMatters. Canadian medical, research, clinical and health-care organizations stand up for science

In Canada and around the world, science is under attack. Increasingly, clearly false health information is being normalized and it’s causing serious harm to patients, communities, public trust and health policy.

Rethinking mental health and substance use health solutions

What if you or someone you know needs mental health and substance use health care right now? Do you know exactly where to go to get what you need?

‘And the dead cannot recover’: The fatal consequences of closing Supervised Consumption Sites

Bill 223 ordered the closure of more than half of Ontario’s 17 supervised consumption sites with no equivalent replacement. For many medical students like me, this is personal.

We can no longer afford the wrong leadership for our medical organizations

Choose leaders for what they can do, not where they come from. The right competencies will carry the profession – and the health system – forward.

Training more doctors is a start. Let’s make sure our health system is ready for them

If we want to build a resilient, equitable health-care system, we need to reimagine how we recruit, train and retain the next generation of doctors.

Endometriosis is a national health crisis: Why aren’t we treating it like one?

If we want to build a more equitable and responsive health-care system, one that doesn’t leave millions behind, we must start by acknowledging endometriosis as the national health issue that it is.

Young and at risk: How Canada is failing our future

Across Canada, nearly one in five people aged 15-24 met the criteria for a mood, anxiety or substance use disorder. Outdated, underfunded government responses have allowed these mental health problems to deepen and intersect.

Aspiration alone is not adequate: Breast screening task force missing the mark

When it comes to the Canadian Task Force, health advocacy is an integral role for any medical professional. There is no desire to generate more “business.”

Building capacity to attach all Ontarians to primary care: The Patient Core Team

As the province works toward attaching all Ontarians to primary care, it’s time to re-imagine how we build teams to support this new objective.

Rethinking our stewardship of patient health data in the age of AI

Patients deserve to benefit from the power of their data, but they also deserve to know, to choose, and to trust.

Calgary has won its latest skirmish, but the fluoride battle isn’t over

Medical experts in Canada and globally agree that fluoridation is a safe, effective way to help prevent tooth decay, especially in children. Yet, strong opposition to the measure persists.

Beyond funding: Why money alone won’t save primary care

As a physician who has witnessed this crisis unfold over 40 years of practice, I believe we need to examine why increased funding alone may not be sufficient to address the depth of our current crisis.

Health care’s domino effect: Turning challenges into building blocks

The very system meant to save our lives is quietly collapsing. This isn’t just a slow-motion crisis. It’s a domino chain already falling.

More than access: Why mental health care in Canada must reflect cultural realities 

Canada’s commitment to multiculturalism is a defining value. Yet despite this ideal, the country’s mental health care systems have yet to fully adapt to reflect the diverse cultural realities of the populations they serve.