Social Determinants

561 articles:
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 Mehdi Aloosh

From bombed refineries to empty fridges: A faraway war raises health concerns at home

When the Middle East burns, Canadians feel the heat in our gas tanks, grocery bills, clinic waitlists and therapy rooms. Global crises may not stay global; they can become local.

by Devina Wadhwa

The words we use: Mental health literacy is expanding but not always improving

We have more language than ever to describe mental health, but not always more clarity about what those words mean.

by Caroline Ewen

Ethical recruitment of internationally educated health professionals: From principles to action

With one of the highest volumes of migrant intake in the world, Canada has both a responsibility and an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in ethical recruitment and for policymakers to support implementation of WHO code-aligned policies and practices.

by Suman Virdee

Beyond stereotypes: Family doctors’ pivotal role in detecting substance use disorders

Primary care clinics can be the best place for detection because of the stigma patients feel when walking into a specialized clinic.

by Hayley Pelletier

Flawed by design: The case of the Saskatchewan fertility treatment tax credit

Saskatchewan’s fertility treatment tax credit is fundamentally inequitable, exclusionary and revealing of whose access to care is prioritized – and whose is not.

by Abrar Ahmed

I am a new doctor; Ford is wrong about ‘basketweaving majors’

The Ontario Student Assistance Program is more than just taxpayer money. It is the people’s belief in the immense potential of every student to rise above their station and be of service to the public.

by Gabriel Fabreau Annalee Coakley

Alberta can’t rely on immigrant workers while denying them health care

Alberta cannot build a functioning health system by recruiting newcomers to sustain it while denying some of them the care and education that allow them to live, work and stay.

by Lynn Murphy-Kaulbeck Diane Francoeur

A federal bill aimed at protecting women could actually cause harm

"We call on Members of Parliament not to pass Bill S-228 in its current form and focus instead on improving policies and funding that could enhance enforcement of existing laws that prohibit coerced sterilizations."

by Suman Virdee

To improve primary care, ‘think globally, act locally’

Primary care is the foundation not only for individual but also for collective health, and we must mobilize more family physicians to improve it.

by Margot Burnell

Co-payments ‘a step backward’ for refugees and the health-care system

It’s imperative we protect access to health care for refugees and asylum claimants. There is no compromise when it comes to equitable health care.

by Sarah Hobbs

Encouraging signs but retention and recruitment essential for Ontario to achieve primary care goals

The Primary Care Act and the vision that positions primary care as the foundation of Ontario’s health system is the bold thinking our system has needed for many years. But now is the time to act on retention.

by Elliot Goodell Ugalde

The paradox of progress: How medical advancements are expanding the time we spend unwell

Humanity is living longer, yet a growing portion of that extended life is spent in poor health. What if the same forces that prolong life, namely technology and industrialization, are also increasing the percentage of our lives spent unwell?

by Maddi Dellplain

Bill to criminalize forced sterilization sparks debate over reproductive justice and medical practice

Bill S-228, which would criminalize forced and coerced sterilization with an up to 14-year prison sentence, is on its way to becoming law. But is it a step in the right direction? Experts weigh in.

by Biba Tinga

The issue no one wants to address about blood donation and Black Canadians

The issue is not whether Black communities care enough to donate. The issue is whether Canada’s blood system is structured in a way that makes equitable participation possible.

by Joanna Cheek

Instead of pointing fingers, let’s fix the societal problems plaguing us

Rather than worsening our society’s health and safety by spewing hate as we grieve Tumbler Ridge, we need to respond compassionately to our national tragedies by caring for everyone and fixing the societal imbalances that will keep harming us all.

by Saachi Jain

Schooling or suicide: The ethical responsibility of educational institutions

Students are dying silently in the places meant to shape their futures. Schools cannot prevent every tragedy, but they also cannot ignore the role they play.

by Devina Wadhwa

In rural Canada, burnout looks different

Burnout in Northern Ontario is not simply about being tired. It is about being stretched across distance, across roles, and across unmet needs. It reflects the broader challenge of delivering care in a vast country with uneven resource distribution.

by Natalie Brender

Violent extremism is a public health problem

Social polarization and worsening toxic online ecosystems have catapulted a growing range of extremisms, which have pushed well beyond political ideology and into nihilism, misogyny, hate-fuelled and sexually exploitative forms.

by Lori Dunne

The cost of caring: Social worker well-being and fair compensation

As social workers we are often expected to put our needs last, while accepting an income that fails to reflect the true value of our work. We need to change the social work discourse and change the landscape in which we are expected to work.

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