Category: Health Fitness

An initial 899,000 vaccine doses have been allocated for nine countries across Africa that have been hit hard by the current mpox surge, the WHO and other health organizations say.  The WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years in August after a new variant of the virus, […]

Canada’s largest network of dental practices has obtained a B.C. Supreme Court injunction forcing a former “partner” to cease involvement with a fledgling franchise business, described in court documents as “something like a McDonald’s” of dentistry. In a decision issued last week, Justice Ward Branch ordered Dr. Jasdip Minhas to stop buying, consolidating or managing two […]

A new coalition of Canadian health-care workers is hoping to “revolutionize” frostbite care in Canada, in part by promoting a groundbreaking treatment protocol popularized years ago by several Yukoners.  Whitehorse General Hospital surgeon Alex Poole and pharmacist Josianne Gauthier — who are part of the new Canadian Frostbite Care Network — published a study in 2016 which described a […]

The Alberta government is permanently cutting off the flow of publicly funded vaccines to community medical clinics, save a select few, sparking yet another wave of concern from health-care providers. As CBC News previously reported, shipments of publicly funded vaccines to community medical clinics were halted in April when a distribution contract expired.  A replacement was never hired and, […]

Fort Erie, Ont., resident Mike Nayler never thought he’d see his “four-legged daughter” Minnie again after surrendering her to a shelter two years ago.  At the time, Nayler was diagnosed with terminal cancer and “gave up” on life, he told CBC Hamilton.  Last week, however, he and the mastiff mix reunited — with a tackle and many licks to his face. Minnie might […]

Some people in Halifax say they aren’t troubled by having few or no friends, according to a study conducted by Dalhousie and St. Francis Xavier universities. Laura Eramian, one of the authors of the research and an associate professor of sociology and social anthropology at Dalhousie, said it is commonly held in society that friendship […]

Quebec’s health minister is planning to table a bill that would force new family doctors and medical specialists trained in the province to devote the first few years of their careers to the public system. In a statement, Health Minister Christian Dubé said “too many doctors decide, as soon as their careers begin, to leave Quebec’s public […]

The Dose20:31How can I protect myself from prostate cancer? Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with an estimated one in eight Canadian men expected to be diagnosed in their lifetimes.  Experts like University of Alberta oncology professor John Lewis say the vast majority of men will have “some cancer in their prostate […]

Social media marketing of fast food, soft drinks, chocolate and other snacks contribute to “normalizing” unhealthy eating, say Canadian researchers calling for policies to protect children and teens. Social media is emerging as a top source of youth exposure to marketing promoting products that are poor in nutrients, they say. Now a study published in […]

Mycoplasma pneumoniae, also known as walking pneumonia, is generally a mild bacterial infection that largely affects children and teens and can commonly be treated with antibiotics. The infection got its informal name because people infected with it are generally not as ill as those with other types of pneumonia. “It’s called walking pneumonia because many people […]

Like many other parents, all Christy Soulliere wanted to do was protect her son Austin Tremblay.  And for years, the Windsor. Ont., mom did everything she could to do just that while also continuing to support him as he struggled with a methamphetamine addiction.  “As a parent watching it, it’s excruciating,” she said.  “There was times when […]

White Coat Black Art26:30Sex medicine doctors are putting women’s health, and pleasure, first A small number of Canadian doctors specializing in women’s sexual health is trying to address what they say is a near-total lack of support for those suffering from common problems such as low libido, difficulty achieving orgasm and pain during intercourse. “In […]

Two Nova Scotia women forced to pay for out-of-country surgeries to treat debilitating medical conditions have won their legal challenges, with a judge criticizing the mishandling of their cases and ruling the province’s Department of Health violated their rights by refusing to cover the procedures. One of the women, Jennifer Brady, a 46-year-old mother of two, […]

As a pet owner and technician in emergency veterinary medicine, Denise Angus knows the importance of access to affordable care.  Her first pet, Mattie, a miniature doberman pinscher, had Cushing’s disease, with medication that cost $400 a month.  Angus lost Mattie in 2017 and began a pet rescue and shelter in Toronto called Mattie’s Place […]

The Alberta government introduced bills Thursday to prohibit minors from receiving certain types of gender-affirming care, require parents be notified when a child wants to use a different name or pronoun in the classroom, and also require that parents opt-in before their children are taught about sex in class. Another bill is designed to address the participation of […]

One of three major tobacco companies involved in years of negotiations with creditors says it opposes the proposed multi-billion-dollar settlement announced in the case earlier this month. JTI-Macdonald Corp. has filed a document with an Ontario court indicating it does not support the proposal due to “critical outstanding issues.” The document was filed ahead of […]

An Alberta woman was denied a medically assisted death in Vancouver this past Sunday after an interim injunction was granted in B.C. Supreme Court barely 24 hours before she was scheduled to die. According to court documents, the woman was approved for medical assistance in dying (MAiD) in July by Vancouver MAiD provider Dr. Ellen […]

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control has warned of a possible measles exposure at airports in Vancouver, Toronto and Fredericton on Oct. 16. According to the notice, a passenger with a confirmed case of measles arrived in Vancouver International Airport (YVR) on Philippine Airlines flight PR16 from Manila at 5:30 p.m. PT that day.  The BCCDC […]

A facility producing plant-based milks linked to a deadly Listeria outbreak was not properly following Health Canada’s policy on preventing contamination, officials said on Tuesday. Three Canadians died in the listeriosis outbreak associated with certain Silk and Great Value plant-based beverages. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said Joriki, a third-party facility used by plant […]

Federal Health Minister Mark Holland says Ottawa will not be contesting Quebec’s law that allows advance requests for medical assistance in dying (MAID).  Instead, the federal government will launch a countrywide consultation on the issue next month, with a report set to be published in March 2025.  The province passed a law updating its assisted-dying legislation […]

The Canadian Medical Association wants governments to scrap sick note requirements for employees with minor sniffles, stomach aches or other short-term illnesses. In a position paper published on Monday, the CMA said the notes burden physicians with unnecessary administrative tasks, and eliminating the requirement could prevent as many as 12.5 million unnecessary health-care interactions a year. A new […]

More than half of Manitoba businesses who took part in a recent survey say they’ve been affected by community safety issues over the past year, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. The findings are from a report released this week by the business advocacy organization. According to the report, when asked, “Has your business recently […]

The Ontario government will effectively bar international students from attending medical schools beginning in the fall of 2026, while also covering tuition for more than 1,000 students who commit to becoming a family doctor in the province. Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Sylvia Jones said Friday upcoming legislation will ensure at least 95 per cent of medical […]

The Dose19:22What can I do to reduce my risk of breast cancer? For years, physicians recommended women perform monthly self-examinations to check for potentially cancerous breast lumps.  Research, however, suggests breast self-exams don’t have a meaningful effect on breast cancer survival rates and groups like the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care actively recommend against […]

A disease that is more commonly associated with the trenches of the First World War, and can sometimes be found in refugee camps, has been detected in several patients in Alberta who received organ transplants. Bartonella quintana, an infection caused by body lice, has been found in seven organ transplant recipients in Alberta since 2022, […]

This story is part of CBC Health’s Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here. Casey Marie Ecker had struggled with inattentiveness and constant exhaustion for years. But as she worked a 9-5 during […]

Moves by major U.S. fast-food chains to temporarily pull fresh onions off their menus on Thursday, after the vegetable was named as the likely source of an E. coli outbreak at McDonald’s, laid bare the recurring nightmare for restaurants: Produce is a bigger problem for restaurants to keep free of contamination than beef. Onions are […]

A southwestern Ontario chemical plant under government orders to reduce emissions in the wake of health complaints by members of Aamjiwnaang First Nation will be decommissioned earlier than planned. INEOS Styrolution previously said it would permanently close the plant before June 2026, but hadn’t ruled out restarting operations before that date. In a news release on Thursday […]

Quebec is going ahead with its plan to authorize early requests for medical assistance in dying, despite concerns raised by the federal government. Starting Oct. 30, the province will begin accepting requests for assisted dying, known as MAID, before a person’s condition, such as Alzheimer’s, renders them incapable of giving consent.  Health officials held a briefing for […]

Carina Heller has found a creative way to donate her brain to science — while she’s still using it. The University of Minnesota neuroscientist wanted to get a better understanding of how birth control pills impact the brain, so she spent 75 sessions in an MRI machine to find out. “It was actually not that […]

A Halifax doctor has stepped up to help a local woman who’s been stuck in limbo when it comes to getting a kidney transplant. Geri Mendes has end-stage kidney disease, and even though her family and friends want to donate, they’ve been told they must have a family doctor or a nurse practitioner. On Monday, hours after […]

Doctors and front-line workers are watching closely as HIV rates increase significantly in Alberta. An annual Alberta Health report reveals the number of new HIV cases jumped by 73 per cent last year, from 293 in 2022 to 507 in 2023. Reported cases have nearly doubled since 2019. “It’s significant. It’s the opposite direction that we hope HIV rates […]

Former federal health minister Dr. Jane Philpott will head a new team with a mandate to connect every person in Ontario to a primary care provider within the next five years, the province announced Monday. As of this summer, there were more than 2.5 million Ontarians without a family doctor, according to the Ontario Medical Association. That […]

The Dose28:24What do I need to know about rabies? Dr. Scott Weese doesn’t mess around when it comes to rabies.  An infectious-diseases veterinarian, Weese recalls when he, his family, as well as some visitors all had to receive vaccinations after being exposed to a potentially rabid bat.  “It was a bit of a mess, but it […]

The minister of mental health and addictions says the federal government will ban most vape flavours across Canada soon — more than three years after Ottawa first promised to bring in the regulations. “We have made a commitment from the start to restrict flavours. We haven’t wavered from that,” Ya’ara Saks told CBC News last week. “We […]

Unreserved52:20Healing 150 years of healthcare harm Advocates are optimistic about a historic apology for harms experienced by Indigenous people in health care — but they say those harms are not “remote parts of history.” “Harms from racism in the medical profession continue today and they continue with ourselves, with our relatives, with our community members,” said […]

This story is part of CBC Health’s Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here. Wendy Guimont’s tumour didn’t kill her. But a cascade of errors tipped the scales. The beloved piano teacher inspired and trained […]

White Coat Black Art26:30One town’s fight to reinstate healthcare The town of Carberry, Man., is doing everything it can to keep its emergency room open, after it was forced to close in 2023. And so far, it’s worked. “We really said, ‘You can’t forget Carberry,’” Mayor Ray Muirhead told White Coat, Black Art host Dr. […]

A plan for Canada’s three biggest tobacco companies to pay out $32.5 billion to provinces, territories and smokers is now in the works, but some hurdles remain before any money starts flowing.  Here are some key facts about the tobacco compensation deal, as explained Friday by lawyers and officials representing the companies, the provinces and smoking-cessation advocates.  […]

Vape retailers in Ottawa may need to be licensed by the end of next month, with the city set to use those fees to finance a crackdown on stores that sell vaping products to people under the age of 19. The number of stores selling products like electronic cigarettes has grown from 19 in 2019 to 70 now, staff […]

Family doctors in Ottawa are seeing an influx of public servants looking for medical notes to support work-from-home requests, putting added strain on an already overburdened health-care system. Dr. Roozbeh Matin, who practises in Barrhaven, said he’s been noticing the trend for months, ever since the federal government announced plans to mandate public servants to work […]

A new study projects that millions more Ontarians will live with major illness by 2040. The report comes from the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health and is published in collaboration with the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA). If action isn’t taken now, Ontario’s hospital system will not be able to cope with the […]

Canada needs to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic and take action before the next health emergency strikes, an expert panel of doctors and researchers say in a new independent report. “Most scientists feel that it’s only a matter of time before we face something similar to what we went through these past five years,” said Dr. […]

When Franklyn McFadden needs to repair his $15,000 wheelchair, that expense is on him. It’s just one of many extra costs that he says comes with living with a disability. “I didn’t choose to be a person in a wheelchair, and I don’t profess to enjoy the fact that I have to use one,” he […]

Stephanie Craig and Mike Murphy of Guelph, Ont., are a pretty average couple. They got married and bought a home together, and have been trying to grow their family since 2017 — but that’s been difficult. Because of a medical condition, Craig was force to give birth prematurely in 2019 at 24 weeks. The baby died just 36 minutes after […]

The Dose22:41I’m an adult! Why do I have acne? Skin care influencer Dr. Stefanie Stockhamer says her experiences with acne began in adolescence. At the time, her breakouts were mild and relatively within control.  It wasn’t until she began medical school, however, that Stockhamer’s acne grew worse.  “It was my mid-20s when it got a lot […]

Alim Nathoo has no problem telling people he’s on the autism spectrum and when he did just that to a service manager on board a Via Rail train, he was relieved to be met with kindness. The 36-year-old Mississauga, Ont., resident was returning home from a trip to Windsor in August when he met Andre Bergeron-Lekman.  […]

For three years, Riley Johnson says he has struggled with homelessness and complex mental health challenges — calling every resource he could find to try to access support. But after years of searching for help in his hometown of Victoria, B.C., the 31-year-old feels no closer to stability than he did after first finding himself homeless in […]

By 8 a.m. — as most people begin weekday morning routines or sit down for breakfast — Debbie Marshall’s already got pots heating on the stove and meat thawing, and is prepping fruit and veggies. Every morning, from an apartment-sized school kitchen in St. John’s, she whips up healthy, hot lunches daily for anywhere from 140 to […]

Provinces and territories need to do more to expand and improve their treatment services for people suffering from addictions and mental health conditions before they contemplate making some of those treatments mandatory, federal Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Ya’ara Saks said Friday. The minister held a press conference to announce the first call for proposals […]

As artificial intelligence continues to develop in seemingly all facets of life — including health care — experts say it’s important for patients to know AI may be used in their care. “I think we’re going to see significant advances in AI use and AI capacity in the next few years,” said Dr. Sian Tsuei, […]

An Ontario woman whose husband died in a New Brunswick hospital while on vacation is urging Canadians to advocate for any loved ones in an emergency room — and she’s calling on candidates in New Brunswick’s provincial election to address what she calls a crisis in health care. Anne Makhoul, and her husband, Danny, 64, […]

Quirks and Quarks10:29A Nobel prize for understanding how genes are turned on and off Gary Ruvkun says microRNA, which are molecules that control how genes form our cells, could be the key to improving how humans fight diseases, and even finding extraterrestrial signs of life.  On Monday, the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology was awarded […]

The Quebec government is considering the possibility of changing how family doctors are assigned based on Quebecers’ health to ensure that the most vulnerable have access. Sources who are aware of the discussions told Radio-Canada about a scenario that has been studied for several months. According to this scenario, Quebec patients in good health or with minor health […]

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he supports involuntary drug addiction treatment for minors and prisoners when they are found to be incapable of making decisions for themselves — but is still looking into whether he can support it for non-incarcerated adults. In July, when asked about a potential national strategy to compel drug users into treatment, Poilievre told reporters he was “open” to the idea […]

1 day ago News Duration 1:48 Concerns about air pollution in the area of southwestern Ontario dubbed Chemical Valley go back decades. And earlier this year, high benzene levels prompted Aamjiwnaang First Nation — which neighbours a petrochemical facility — to declare a state of emergency. Last week, some members of the First Nation left […]

Saskatoon’s Royal University Hospital was issued a notice of contravention from a Saskatchewan Occupational Health and Safety officer stemming from overcapacity and the risks it causes to workers. In the notice, which has been shared on social media and verified by CBC, the occupational health officer acknowledges three issues — including obstructing safe means of entry […]

The Ontario Ministry of Health says four people have been sickened after consuming beef tongue believed to be contaminated with Listeria. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is recalling many brands of jellied beef tongue sold in various Ontario stores. Many of the products were served to customers by store clerks and others were pre-packaged. The […]

Canadian teens and young adults living with diabetes face double the risk of hospitalizations and emergency room visits compared with younger children with the condition, say doctors suggesting changes to how care is organized for affected families.  In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas is unable to produce insulin, a hormone that allows the body to […]

Quebec’s College of Physicians is calling for an urgent plan to improve health services in the province’s Far North after releasing a damning report on the lack of access to health care in the region. Signed by College president Dr. Mauril Gaudreault, the report published on Monday points to a lack of basic equipment in […]

Rwandan health authorities will begin a vaccine study against the Marburg hemorrhagic fever as the East African country tries to stop the spread of an outbreak that has killed 12 people. Rwanda, which received 700 doses of a vaccine under trial from the U.S.-based Sabin Vaccine Institute, will offer it to health workers and emergency responders as […]

Scurvy is a disease that likely conjures up images of sickly sailors from hundreds of years ago, but doctors in Canada are being warned to look out for the condition now, as a result of growing food insecurity.  A report published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) details the case study of a […]

Three anti-tobacco groups are calling on federal Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks to resign if she fails to pass regulations banning flavoured vaping products. At a news conference on Friday, the heads of Physicians of a Smoke-Free Canada, the Quebec Coalition of Tobacco Control and ASH Canada said they have been waiting for 14 months for the minister to […]

This story is part of CBC Health’s Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here. Tripods and cameras are scattered between the weights and benches in a Mississauga gym. It’s common to find fitness influencers at […]

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a food recall warning for certain brands of beef jelly tongue products in Ontario due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The affected products, sold at various retailers, may be labelled inconsistently or sold without labels, and may have been repackaged into small portions. The recall includes the following […]

White Coat Black Art26:30Bringing the emergency department to the trauma scene There’s an area on Highway 3 near Nelson, B.C., that Dr. Nicholas Sparrow knows well. There are no markers or special features, but he can easily find where he helped a person in an accident get out of their vehicle with broken femurs in […]

As two new Health Canada approved vaccines start to arrive at pharmacies, public health officials are encouraging those who most need protection to get the updated vaccines to help protect against currently circulating variants that cause COVID-19.  The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says updated vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech are scheduled to arrive […]

The government’s pharmacare legislation has survived a key step on the way to becoming law and could pass the Senate next week. Bill C-64, a framework for the implementation of national pharmacare, passed through the Senate’s social affairs, science and technology committee without amendments on Thursday. It now proceeds to a final vote on the floor of […]

A child from the Brantford, Ont., area has died from rabies, says a local medical officer of health.  Dr. Malcolm Lock of the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit told councillors at a board of health meeting Wednesday that the child had been exposed to the virus in the Timiskaming region, just north of Sudbury.  “They woke up with a bat […]

CancerCare Manitoba’s board has issued a letter in response to concerns raised over a week ago regarding excessive workloads, burnout, wait lists and dissatisfaction with the workplace culture.  Jeoffrey Chipman, chair of CancerCare Manitoba’s board, sent a letter sent to staff, doctors and researchers at the cancer agency on Friday that addressed concerns, including that staff shortages, new health-care […]

An Ottawa woman says she’s frustrated, angry and afraid as she faces a growing wait for a procedure that could spare her from the high risk of breast cancer she faces. Ashley Ricks, 32, has been assessed as having a greater than 25 per cent chance of developing breast cancer through genetic testing and a medical […]

The Nova Scotia government is working on an agreement to create a provincial travel nurse program, a move that would reduce the reliance on private companies and respond to a long-standing call by the nurses’ union. “We’re hoping to get that in place sooner rather than later,” Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union president Janet Hazelton said […]

A Sarnia, Ont., chemical company has begun work to remove a toxic chemical it produces, a move that’s led to the evacuation of people from neighbouring Aamjiwnaang First Nation. Ineos Styrolution uses benzene, a byproduct of fuel refining, to manufacture auto parts, medical appliances and electronics.  Research has shown that benzene can cause cancer, the federal government notes. High levels of […]

One week into New Brunswick’s provincial election campaign, the state of health care in the province has emerged as a central issue — with parties differing sharply on how serious problems in the system have become and whether spending more money is needed to fix them. Jamie Gillies, a political scientist at St. Thomas University, told […]

The Current18:54Indigenous life expectancy is dropping. How do we fix it? When Dr. Danièle Behn Smith first saw the data on Indigenous life expectancy, her mind went to her own family. The recent report by the B.C. First Nations Health Authority found that life expectancy for Indigenous people in the province had dropped by more […]

People gathered in downtown Montreal Saturday evening on the fourth anniversary of Joyce Echaquan’s death for a rally calling on Quebec to take more action against discrimination in health care. Ghisliain Picard, the chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador, was in the crowd wearing, like most of the attendees, a purple shirt with a photo of […]

Montreal pharmacist Aleck Brodeur just got a shipment of COVID-19 rapid tests. Ever since the temperature has been dropping, more people have wanted to buy them, he says.  “They go out so fast. We always have to order some every day, and we keep increasing the supply that we order, but they’re still all going,” he […]

This story is part of CBC Health’s Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here. Melissa Murray regularly ran 10 kilometres a day — until a serious bacterial infection caused her to nearly lose a leg.  Last summer, […]

Residents, chemists and firefighters are raising concerns about prevention and emergency preparedness after 15,000 kilograms of lithium batteries inside a shipping container caught fire at the Port of Montreal on Monday. “Around 6 p.m., I started smelling something chemical in my place,” said Lia Chauvel, who lives about two kilometres from the port. “Like at […]

More than 550 people who attended the P.E.I. International Shellfish Festival last weekend reported getting sick, according to the province’s chief public health officer.  “This is the biggest gastrointestinal illness outbreak we have on record,” Dr. Heather Morrison told CBC News on Friday. Stool samples taken from people who ate food at the festival have […]

Health Four additional healthcare workers in Missouri who had contact with a hospitalized patient infected with bird flu developed mild respiratory symptoms but the virus was not confirmed in any of them, U.S. health officials said Friday. Missouri patient had no known contact with infected animals Thomson Reuters · Posted: Sep 27, 2024 12:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: […]

Veterans’ Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor now says that veterans on Canada’s Invictus Games team will get full health coverage by 2025, days after CBC News reported that veterans on the team have to buy their own health insurance. “We will continue to work with the Canadian Armed Forces, Soldier On, Invictus Games and other stakeholders […]

Politics A coalition of disability rights groups says it is launching a Charter challenge against a part of Canada’s law on medical assistance in dying. Group argues ‘Track 2’ of Canada’s medical assistance in dying law has led to premature deaths The Canadian Press · Posted: Sep 26, 2024 10:55 AM EDT | Last Updated: […]

Yogurt from Costco is being recalled for the second time in a month, after manufacturer Danone Canada said the product may contain a type of yeast that could lead to illness in immunocompromised people. The recall affects Costco’s Kirkland Signature Probiotic Yogurt that comes in a 24-pack of 100-gram servings, which was bought at its […]

Cash-strapped Millennials and Gen Zers have been grappling with soaring rents and rising costs of living, which means that to make ends meet, things like therapy are being treated as luxuries, mental health experts say. “If I had to spend $80 a week on therapy, I would not. I have too many other responsibilities,” said […]

The federal government is creating a new agency to improve Canada’s ability to handle rapidly spreading infectious diseases and protect Canadians from future pandemics. Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said the agency is meant to preserve the “top-gun team” of public servants that helped steer Canadians through COVID-19. Health Emergency Readiness Canada is being tasked with […]

Pfizer-BioNTech’s updated vaccine to protect against a recently circulating COVID-19 variant is authorized, Health Canada said on Tuesday. The federal vaccine and treatment portal lists authorization of the product Comirnaty, saying it includes an updated composition to target the KP.2 subvariant of Omicron. Pfizer said the newly formulated vaccine will be available in pharmacies and vaccination centres […]

The Quebec government has issued a new directive in an effort to clear up any confusion around the use of language in the health network: English speakers have the right to access social and health-care services in English in Quebec. The right was enshrined in Article 15 of the province’s law regulating social and health-care services in 1992. […]

A new charter challenge set to get underway on Monday will test the constitutionality of a controversial Ontario law that allows hospitals to place discharged patients into long-term care homes not of their choosing or face a $400-per-day charge if they refuse. The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly and the Ontario Health Coalition argues the […]

Health Minister John Hogan says the Newfoundland and Labrador government is making headway in its recruitment of nurses. (Mark Quinn/CBC) Newfoundland and Labrador’s health minister insists the province is not holding jobs for internationally recruited nurses, despite what the nurses’ union president alleges.  Health Minister John Hogan told reporters Thursday the province is committed to hiring nurses […]

White Coat Black Art26:30This school’s for family docs only The people behind a year-old medical school dedicated solely to turning out family doctors say the small program based in Oshawa, Ont., is disrupting traditional medical education in a way that could help solve Canada’s shortage of family physicians. “The big idea here is to preselect […]

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says a recall of Nutrabolics brand Feed Me Vegan Real Food Protein & Oats bars due to undeclared milk has been expanded. The most recent recall notice, which was issued Friday, says not to consume the recalled products if you are allergic or sensitive, warning they may cause a serious […]

This story is part of CBC Health’s Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here. Warren Kotler has outlived his prognosis.  Eight years ago, Kotler was told he had three to five years to live. The diagnosis: […]

Sudden cardiac arrest hits some 60,000 Canadians out of hospital each year. The heart abruptly stops beating, blood circulation and breathing halts, and when it happens outside a hospital, it’s fatal in about 90 per cent of those cases. While there are sometimes prior warning signs, such as fainting when exercising, in many cases sudden cardiac […]

WARNING: This story contains distressing details. Two years after losing her only child, Maria Lopez says she takes strength from her necklace with a picture of 18-year-old Jeshennia. “She was an enchanting girl … a jokester, good student, good daughter, good advisor,” Maria recalled. Jeshennia “was everything.” The death of Jeshennia Bedoya Lopez, a recent […]

Health Canada said Thursday it has authorized Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 12 years and up.  The product, called Nuvaxovid, is a protein-based vaccine.  Health Canada said the vaccine was updated to target the JN.1 variant, an offshoot of Omicron. Nationally, the JN.1 group is currently the main lineage in Canada. The variant set off a massive […]

Ontario’s Minister of Sport Neil Lumsden said Wednesday he intends to one day donate his brain for concussion research, while announcing new funding for a provincewide study on traumatic brain injuries. Lumsden, the MPP for Hamilton East–Stoney Creek, played for 10 years in the Canadian Football League as a fullback and running back. He won […]

The B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS is set to open smoking rooms designed for supervised drug use at its Hope to Health clinic in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Kate Salters, a research scientist with the centre, said the six new rooms, which will come into operation when a permit is granted by Health Canada, will offer users a space to inhale […]

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is holding a ceremony in Victoria on Wednesday to publicly apologize for harms the medical profession has caused Indigenous Peoples. “By offering this apology, we hope to build trust with and support Indigenous Peoples, communities and organizations and inspire medical learners, physicians and medical organizations to undertake their own reconciliation […]

As New Brunswick hospitals continue to struggle to find beds for patients, a group of professionals in the province say they could be playing a much larger role in preventing illness and improving mobility.  Natalie Arsenault graduated with a degree in science and kinesiology from the University of New Brunswick in 2020 and was only […]

Health Canada authorized Moderna’s updated COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday to roll out in fall and winter immunization campaigns. The federal vaccine portal lists approval of Moderna’s product.  The company says the vaccine targets the KP.2 variant, one of the latest offshoots of Omicron. The Omicron variant of concern set off a massive wave of infections worldwide […]

Ontario is proposing to further expand pharmacists’ scope of practice by adding to the list of minor ailments they can assess, allowing them to administer more vaccines and order some lab tests. But while pharmacists see the proposal as an overdue solution to easing the burden on other aspects of the health-care system by leaning […]

Over a year and a half after two Vancouver Island emergency rooms halted overnight service, they remain closed at night with no concrete reopening plan due to a shortage of nurses.  In January 2023, the province announced the emergency rooms at the Port Hardy Hospital and the Cormorant Island Health Centre, located in Alert Bay, […]

The B.C. government has announced it will expand involuntary care for those with mental health and addictions issues, and will open “highly secure” facilities to house people detained under the Mental Health Act throughout the province. Premier David Eby announced Sunday that the government would open mental health units at correctional facilities throughout the province, […]

White Coat Black Art26:30Healthcare at the food bank Every two weeks, tenants of a Toronto Community Housing high-rise benefit from an on-site food bank. It’s run by an embedded healthcare team, to build trust and get people the help they desperately need. Every second Tuesday, residents at the Toronto Community Housing apartment complex on Adanac […]

This story is part of CBC Health’s Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here. Nicole Williams often felt tired when she was in high school and university, relying on coffee to chase away fatigue. Then […]

British Columbia has become the first province in Canada to sign a pharmacare agreement with the federal government that would help the province fund hormone replacement therapy and diabetes expenses. Federal Health Minister Mark Holland said B.C.’s portion of the $1.5-billion national plan is estimated to be $195 million, and under the memorandum of understanding, funding could begin by April once the legislation makes […]

Raise your hand if you’ve ever fallen off the monkey bars and hurt more than your pride. It’s practically a childhood rite of passage. You climb, you swing, you push the limit, you miss, you cry. Maybe you dusted yourself off and limped back onto the playground. Or maybe you needed a trip to the emergency […]

British Columbia has become the first province in Canada to sign a pharmacare agreement with the federal government that would help the province fund hormone replacement therapy and diabetes expenses. Federal Health Minister Mark Holland said B.C.’s portion of the $1.5-billion national plan is estimated to be $195 million, and under the memorandum of understanding, funding could begin by April once the legislation makes […]

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) says a resident who died in August of brain inflammation had the eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus, a mosquito-borne disease that’s rarely spread to humans. Like the West Nile virus, EEE is typically transmitted between wild birds and mosquitoes, according to OPH. It sometimes infects horses, hence its name, but is seldom passed on to […]

As It Happens7:39Man who received world’s 1st eye and face transplant says it changed his life Aaron James can’t stop looking at himself in the mirror. The 47-year-old U.S. military veteran and electrical lineman  was badly injured in a workplace accident in June 2021 that destroyed his left eye, chin, nose, lips and left arm, and […]

Ontario’s progress in giving children with autism access to government-funded core therapy has slowed so significantly that at times the number of kids enrolled is actually declining, despite a ballooning wait-list, according to documents obtained by The Canadian Press. Progress updates on the Ontario Autism Program show a widening gulf between the number of children […]

Nancy Le, 25, has been using facial sunscreens since she was a teenager. But unlike people who buy sunscreen from stores, the Vancouver nursing student is one of many who use online retailers. That’s because the sunscreen she uses, which is made in Asia, contains ingredients that aren’t approved by Health Canada. “The other sunscreens […]

An Edmonton fertility doctor who admitted to participating in a drug kickback scheme for more than two years will pay a $5,000 fine and serve a temporary practice permit suspension, following a College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta hearing last week. In a 2021 letter, Dr. Tarek Motan told patients who saw him between August […]

Catherine, Princess of Wales, says she has finished her chemotherapy treatment and will focus on staying “cancer-free” as she begins a gradual return to work this fall. In a video message released on Monday, Catherine said she was relieved to have finished her preventative treatment after an “incredibly tough” nine months for her family. “Doing what […]

A year’s worth of respiratory virus data for Alberta reveals, once again, COVID-19 is far deadlier than the flu. The death toll due to the two illnesses, combined, topped 900 over the past year. More than four times as many Albertans died due to COVID compared to influenza. Alberta’s respiratory dashboard shows flu was responsible for 177 […]

The mother of Bella Thomson, the 10-year-old from Swift Current, Sask., who inspired millions of followers with her health journey before its tragic end in July, is carrying on her legacy of advocacy. Bella, who went by Bella Brave on social media, was born with several rare health conditions. Her mother Kyla Thomson said Bella was being treated […]

Nearly three quarters of dentists are accepting patients through the new Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) but dentist participation rates still vary widely from province to province. Data obtained by CBC News shows the CDCP participation rate for dentists is lowest in New Brunswick, PEI, Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. In New Brunswick, only 40 per cent […]

In an effort to get more drivers to slow down, Toronto has introduced advanced pedestrian signalling, increased its use of automatic speed cameras, rebuilt entire intersections and improved cycling infrastructure by adding more protected intersections and bike lanes — but advocates say the city’s efforts are not fast enough, as more people have died in fatal collisions so far this year […]

An educator at the Canadian Mental Health Association says the start of a school year can be stressful for students. (Shutterstock / Tero Vesalainen) A new school year can be a time of new beginnings, but it can also bring additional stress for students, says a mental health educator who’s urging people to take care of […]

Ontario has recorded its first domestically acquired case of human rabies since 1967. The Brant County Health Unit said Friday that a resident of Brantford-Brant is currently hospitalized with the virus. The unit added that the suspected exposure was from a bat in the Gowanda area of the Timiskaming region just north of Sudbury. Dr. Kieran Moore, […]

Public health agencies are encouraging people who received a first dose of mpox vaccine over the last two years to make sure they get a second dose. Many people at risk for mpox exposure got vaccinated in Canada beginning in spring 2022, when a global outbreak of the virus was declared, Canada’s chief public health […]

As Nova Scotians grapple with the growing effects of climate change, new research is attempting to help clarify how those changes are affecting their lungs. Climate change can have a range of effects on lung health: wildfires fill the air with harmful particles; hot and humid conditions trap pollution close to the ground; longer growing […]

The Ontario government is facing a class-action lawsuit after it abruptly cancelled a basic income pilot project, a decision participants say hurled their lives into turmoil. CBC’s Nick Purdon explores the initiative’s impact and why some say a guaranteed paycheque is the way of the future.

Health Canada has told the provinces to pull existing supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine that targets the XBB form of Omicron, a spokesperson for Ontario’s health minister says. “Health Canada has directed all provinces to follow practices and processes for the withdrawal and destruction of all remaining supplies of XBB vaccines, starting Sept. 1, 2024,” the spokesperson […]

The brainwave-reading technology of EEG helps monitor people with epilepsy and can detect when we’re dozing off behind the wheel in a simulator. As scientists mark the 100th anniversary of the test, here’s why many in the field are excited about its future uses in medicine. Today’s electroencephalogram, or EEG, device consists of electrodes applied […]

Several years ago, Anthony DeVergillo was playing a video game that required him to point his controller at the screen to save.  The Bedminster, N.J., man, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy and couldn’t lift the controller. “It really frustrated me,” he told CBC Hamilton. “I could do everything else in the game, I just couldn’t save because […]

Paxton Clarke, 13, sits upright in his bed as he yawns repeatedly and softly explains that he doesn’t remember an entire week of August. While memories such as squeaking chairs come back to him in fragments, his mother, Jennifer Weatherbie, recalls every painful moment of how he dipped in and out of consciousness and nearly […]

Emergency rooms at five Interior B.C. hospitals were closed over the long weekend due to staffing shortages. In separate news releases, Interior Health Authority announced that 100 Mile District, Nicola Valley, Lillooet, Cariboo Memorial and South Okanagan hospitals all temporarily paused emergency department services due to “limited physician availability.” While most of them have since […]

Caldwell Lever first tried traditional Chinese medicine years ago “out of desperation,” while struggling with a chronic illness. “My back was to the wall,” he said. “Within 24 hours, I was a different person.” He was won over by an approach he described as more holistic than what he’d experienced before: practitioners “interested in how I’m feeling: not […]

Dressed in her polio campaign vest, Dr. Tasneem Abu Al-Qambaz walks the streets of Deir al-Balah, stopping parents and administering an oral vaccine to their children, before marking each child with a black dot on their fingernail. Polio immunization rollout began in central Gaza on Sunday after Israel and Hamas agreed to brief pauses in the […]

Flavoured nicotine pouches are now only available for purchase in Canada from a pharmacist — but some former smokers say the new national regulations also make it harder for adults to reach a product that was helping them quit cigarettes. “I think the government should be doing whatever they can to limit youth from getting […]

At the clinic in Khan Younis, Dr. Tasneem Abu Al-Qambaz writes a prescription for a little girl with a fever. Her mother is concerned it might be polio after the first confirmed case in Gaza in 25 years was announced this week.  On Abu Al-Qambaz’s desk is a box filled with vials of the polio […]

This story is part of CBC Health’s Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here. The classic sound of whooping cough is grating and unmistakable: A harsh, deep hacking that’s often followed by a distinctive “whoop” […]

Vermont’s health department is urging residents of several towns, including one bordering Quebec, to stay indoors from dusk to dawn to prevent the spread of a mosquito-borne illness. Certain towns are considered at high risk for eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), which the state’s health department describes as a rare but serious disease caused by a […]

B.C Premier David Eby is ordering a review of a program that dispenses free drug paraphernalia and testing kits from hospital vending machines. The harm reduction kiosks have been placed at three Vancouver Island hospitals in Nanaimo, Campbell River and Victoria. The machines offer free access to harm reduction supplies, like naloxone, drug testing strips […]

The World Health Organization said Thursday it has reached an agreement with Israel for limited pauses in fighting in Gaza to allow for polio vaccinations for hundreds of thousands of children after a baby contracted the first confirmed case in 25 years in the Palestinian territory. Described as “humanitarian pauses” that will last three days […]

Two Regina wheelchair basketball players hope their years of experience playing together will help Team Canada get to the podium at the 2024 Paralympic Games.  This is the second time Nik Goncin, 32, and Garrett Ostepchuk, 24, will be teammates representing Canada at the Paralympics. Goncin made his Paralympic debut with Team Canada in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 […]

A subscription service being offered by a Regina health clinic is coming under fire from critics and one of its patients for appearing to offer privatized health services.  Cecilia Rands says that about a week or two ago, she received an email addressed to her seven-year-old daughter from Albert & Parliament Primary Health Care, a clinic at […]

Health Canada told CBC News they’ll finish reviewing updated COVID vaccines by “early autumn” on the heels of the U.S. approving two updated vaccines to protect against hospitalizations and deaths.  As COVID looms over the Paralympic Games in Paris that start Wednesday following outbreaks among Olympic athletes, new subvariants of Omicron continue to ebb and […]

Whooping cough cases are on the rise in Canada, with some provinces reporting sharp increases compared to pre-pandemic averages. More than 11,670 cases have been reported in Quebec so far this year, a significant jump from the annual average of 562 cases between 2015 and 2019. The majority of whooping cough patients are between the […]

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says senior Biden administration officials pressured Facebook to “censor” some COVID-19 content during the pandemic and vowed the social media giant would push back if it faced such demands again. In a letter to Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican chair of the judiciary committee of the House of Representatives, Zuckerberg alleges […]

When Mianh Lamson moved to Cape Breton, N.S., a few years ago, she wasn’t planning on working as a midwife, but people she met around her community of Inverness kept telling her she ought to. “We heard this really strong voice of more interest in access to women’s health care, newborn and postpartum care, and […]

When Andrea Weagle and her family sat down to discuss her father’s deteriorating health in March, they decided end-of-life care would be the most comforting option for him.  She contacted Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital in nearby Lunenburg, N.S., where the province had announced a palliative care unit with five beds in 2021.  But Weagle said her father, who lived […]

WARNING: This story contains details of female genital mutilation/cutting Shamsa Sharawe was six years old when she became convinced her family was going to kill her.  “It felt so violent and so … just horrific,” she said. “I just thought, why? Like, if you’re not trying to end my life, why would you do this?” […]

A 10-month-old baby in war-shattered Gaza has been paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus, the first such case in the territory in 25 years, the World Health Organization said on Friday, with United Nations agencies appealing for urgent vaccinations of every baby. The type 2 virus (cVDPV2), while not inherently more dangerous than types 1 […]

The Current19:40People will die if safe consumption sites close, warns advocate Dr. Sharon Koivu says a decision by the Ontario government that will shutter 10 supervised drug consumption sites across the province was disappointing — though not a total shock. “I am very concerned about the decision to shut them down [but] I’m not surprised,” said […]

More than five years after she was expelled from caucus in the fallout from the SNC-Lavalin affair, former Liberal health minister Jane Philpott is leaving the door open to a possible return to politics. Philpott was asked about her future in an interview airing Saturday on CBC’s The House. “If a door ever opened that was the right […]

The regional health board overseeing Laval, north of Montreal, re-introduced masking across its facilities Friday in response to an increase in cases of COVID-19 among employees and the city’s population as a whole. In an internal memo sent to staff and viewed by CBC News, the CISSS de Laval called on workers to wear a […]

WARNING: This story contains discussion of intimate partner violence. Brett Broadfoot never imagined fighting against intimate partner violence would become such a focal point in his life.  The London, Ont., father admits he didn’t know much about the issue and its prevalence until his daughter was killed last month. Now, Broadfoot and his family have made it […]

Advocates in Thunder Bay say the Ontario government’s move to close a number of safe consumption sites (SCS) will be detrimental to people living with addictions. Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced Tuesday the province is banning the sites within 200 metres of schools and child-care centres, meaning 10 locations in the province, including Path 525 in Thunder Bay, […]

An app billed as a “one-stop shop” for accessing health records and booking appointments has been most popular among Nova Scotians ages 50 to 80, a figure that’s been encouraging to the province’s health minister. The province said that demographic represents 75 per cent of YourHealthNS users since the app was rolled out last year with a promise to improve access […]

Ontario has banned supervised drug consumption sites within 200 metres of schools and child-care centres. Ten facilities across the province will be forced to stop providing safe consumption services by March 2025, and they will be given the option to transition into “treatment hubs.” Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced the decision Tuesday afternoon when she addressed the Association of […]

Nearly 12 per cent of tested spice samples failed to meet quality and safety standards, according to data obtained by Reuters of tests by Indian authorities after several countries took steps over contamination risks in two popular brands. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India conducted inspections, sampling and testing of mixed spice blends after Hong Kong suspended […]

As the new school year approaches, thoughts are turning to back-to-school supplies — but keeping children’s vaccinations up to date is something else parents and guardians should have on their to-do list, British Columbia’s top doctor says.  “Getting your children vaccinated is the best way to protect them from vaccine-preventable illnesses that can cause serious illness, long-term disability […]

A man who says he suffers from chronic and worsening mental health issues is among those pursuing a court challenge of the assisted dying law, which excludes people suffering solely from a mental disorder. An application filed by Dying with Dignity in Ontario Superior Court on Monday argues that it is discriminatory for the federal […]

Alberta Health is currently exploring a proposed “campus” in the city of Airdrie that would see a “one-stop shop” built that aims to serve most health-care needs in the municipality located north of Calgary. The proposal comes from a private company called One Health Associate Medical. Proponents behind the project say they hope it could serve as […]

Mpox first made global headlines in 2022 when the virus suddenly exploded around the world, spreading rapidly through sexual networks into dozens of new countries outside Africa. The World Health Organization labelled it a public health emergency of international concern that same year. The global outbreaks overwhelmingly impacted men who have sex with men, leading […]

The Current19:23$100,000 signing bonus? How some towns are luring doctors Canadian municipalities are offering family doctors thousands of dollars and other benefits to work and live in smaller cities and towns, health-care recruiters and municipal leaders say. More than six million Canadians lack regular access to primary care physicians, a problem that’s been connected to […]

A new study shows “enormous” differences around Ontario in wait times for common surgeries, with the average patient at some hospitals waiting as much as 15 times longer than patients referred elsewhere for the same procedure. The study analyzes the time patients wait, from the doctor’s decision to operate until the actual date of surgery, […]

This story is part of CBC Health’s Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here. In mid-July, when Doug Moore’s daughter fell and hurt her wrist at the family’s property in northern B.C., he rushed the […]

Kevin Konnyu spent a decade navigating the health-care system before he was approved recently for financial assistance through Ontario’s disability support program. But even though his province recognizes his disability, that’s not enough on its own to qualify him for coverage under Canada’s new national public dental insurance program. Instead, he has to prove to Ottawa he’s disabled through several […]

Canadians have seen a lot of hopeful headlines about psychedelics in recent years, as evidence indicating they can help people suffering from treatment-resistant conditions continues to grow. One woman with chronic pain is fighting to get her insurer to cover ketamine treatments in Halifax. In Manitoba, there’s a waiting list for people seeking treatment with psilocybin. Psychotherapists in B.C. […]

The Public Health Agency of Canada says it was only after multiple Listeria cases emerged in Ontario in June that it recognized a broader outbreak that had started back in August 2023. Questions have swirled around why it took nearly a year for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to announce a national recall of several […]

Helen Malone-Babineau has escaped not one, but two wildfires in the past eight years. Now, she’s starting over again in Halifax. “Having experienced Fort McMurray and Yellowknife, both being isolated places with one road out, I said I think I will go somewhere a little bit, you know, with more routes to escape,” she said […]

The World Health Organization (WHO) has named mpox a public health emergency of international concern for the second time, on the heels of a continental emergency declaration from African health officials as the region remains gripped by outbreaks of the virus. Known for causing painful, pus-filled lesions, and in some cases severe illness or death, […]

As cases of mpox skyrocket in Africa, health officials there have declared the continent’s first-ever public health emergency as a “call to action” for more global support. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) made the declaration at a Tuesday media briefing, one day before a World Health Organization emergency committee is […]

The Public Health Agency of Canada says a third person has died in a Listeria outbreak connected to Great Value and Silk plant-based milks. The agency says there are now 20 confirmed cases of listeriosis in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Alberta. Ontario’s ministry of health has confirmed the first two deaths happened in that province. It’s […]

Up To Speed7:53The science behind step counts Your Fitbit tells you to aim for it. Your mom touts it as age-old wisdom. Your doctor might even say it’s what’s best for you. But why is taking 10,000 steps per day the default goal? It might be surprising to know that the number was chosen at […]

As It Happens5:32Blind musicians and teachers communicate through vibration using Canadian-made device A PhD student in Ottawa has developed a device that allows blind and low-vision students to feel music cues, replacing the need to see them.  Instead of having to follow a conductor’s baton, or a teacher’s hand gestures during a lesson, music learners […]

Several cancers may be affecting millennials and Gen-X more than they did baby boomers, according to a new study based out of the U.S. The study, published in The Lancet this month, found that 17 of the 34 most common cancers diagnosed between the ages of 25 to 84 are on the rise in younger […]

At least three Quebec Liberal MPs have raised concerns with federal ministers about a new provincial directive they say limits access to health care in the province for patients who do not communicate in French. The 31-page directive published by Quebec’s health department last month says health-care practitioners in the province may provide services in languages other than […]

The first time Devon Cantwell-Chavez had a long-lasting form of birth control inserted — an intrauterine device, or IUD — it was a smooth, painless experience. That was in 2018, through her gynecologist in Salt Lake City, Utah. Cantwell-Chavez was provided painkillers, along with a low dose of an anti-anxiety medication with sedative properties. “It […]

More than 70 per cent of dentists are now accepting patients through Canada’s new public dental insurance program — a significant increase over the 50 per cent participation rate reported a month ago. The federal government attributes the higher uptake to changes it introduced on July 8 that allow dental clinics to submit claims without officially registering as providers of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). […]

A study by researchers at McGill University has found that a microscopic air pollutant generated from vehicles and industry plays a role in the deaths of an estimated 1,100 people in Canada’s two biggest cities each year. Their study, published recently in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, finds that long-term exposure […]

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the recent Listeria contamination of several plant-based milks occurred in a Pickering, Ont., factory. It says the contamination happened on a “dedicated production line” at Joriki, which is a third-party beverage packaging facility used by plant-milk manufacturer Danone Canada. The agency says that the production line has been “completely […]

More than three decades after Indigenous leaders in northern Alberta began asking for funding to better understand if pollution from the oilsands was making their people sick, the federal government is funding a study to do just that. “This should have been done 32 years ago, maybe 40 years ago,” said Mikisew Cree First Nation […]

This is the third story in CBC Sudbury’s Lifelines series exploring access to health care in the communities of Lake Huron’s North Shore. You can read the other stories in the series here and here.  Cathy Marshall knows every bend and dip of Highway 17 between Sault Ste. Marie and Blind River in northern Ontario because […]

A controversial American government decision to impose new requirements on dogs entering the U.S. was prompted by a “dramatic increase” in falsified documents and fraud — including cases of people using Canada to bring dogs from countries with high rates of rabies into the U.S. A lengthy notice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and […]

Organized crime groups have shifted their efforts away from importing the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl and are now producing it primarily on Canadian soil. A briefing note prepared for the deputy minister of Health Canada — obtained by CBC News through an access to information request — lays out the changes law enforcement agencies have observed […]

As small communities across Ontario struggle to recruit doctors and nurses, one town has landed on a strategy that appears poised for success: giving them “a bag of money up front.” That’s the incentive on offer in Huntsville, Ont., where local authorities say they will give an $80,000 signing bonus to any family physician who […]

When Belarusian-born Sveta Kipatkova first heard about a Quebec program that could reduce her daughter’s exposure to radiation, she jumped at the opportunity. Every summer, from the end of June until mid-August, Séjour Santé Enfants Tchernobyl (SSET) brings Belarusian children to the province to give them a healthy break from the polluted environment they grew […]

Nestlé Canada has issued a voluntary recall on a type of its Gerber baby cereal sold online and in stores across the country due to possible bacterial contamination, the company said in a statement on Sunday. Certain packages of its Gerber oat, banana and mango baby cereal are being recalled due to concerns over Cronobacter bacteria, the […]

What On Earth27:39Awkward! How to have that cringe convo about climate Conversations about climate change can get really uncomfortable, really quickly, whether they’re happening in a meeting room or at your family’s annual summer barbecue. It’s enough to make even those who are really concerned about the problem want to steer clear of the topic.  But […]

Recent studies show that a common antibiotic could reduce the risk of getting syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea in some high-risk people. It’s part of a preventive strategy called DoxyPEP. But who can get it and how does it actually work?

Heat is the leading cause of climate-related deaths in Europe, according to the World Health Organization. In an update on Friday, the UN health agency said heat claims more than 175,000 lives every year in WHO’s European region, which includes Europe and Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan. “Temperature extremes such as those we’re experiencing at […]

JAMP Pharma Corporation is recalling its digoxin tablets because some bottles may contain an incorrect dose, Health Canada announced in an advisory. The drug-maker said its 0.0625 and 0.125 mg digoxin tablets with certain lot and expiry dates may weigh more or less than they should while looking normal-sized. Digoxin is a prescription drug used by children and […]

Simone Biles isn’t the only one making a comeback at the 2024 Olympics. COVID-19, the virus behind the pandemic that led to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics being postponed to 2021, is once again infecting athletes and influencing athletic performance. But COVID’s impact seems to have dropped significantly since Tokyo. The Paris Olympics continue to operate […]

More than two years after Quebec lifted most of its COVID-era public health measures, the province has only recouped a little over one-third of the $68 million it issued in pandemic-related fines. Quebec had some of the strictest public health measures in the country during the pandemic and was the only province to impose a […]

Ontario is officially ending its COVID-19 wastewater surveillance program today in a move some public health experts call shortsighted. Dr. Fahad Razak, the former scientific director of the COVID-19 Ontario Science Table, says the province’s decision is “incredibly disappointing.” Wastewater testing gives an early indication of when COVID-19 and other viruses are on the rise, […]

Two new risk factors for dementia — vision loss and high cholesterol — have been identified in a sweeping new report in a leading medical journal. The 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia lists 14 risk factors for dementia, many of which can be influenced by lifestyle changes. Among them, untreated vision loss and high cholesterol stand out […]

Dominique D’Anjou is one of the hundreds of thousands of Quebecers waiting to see a medical specialist. Her family doctor referred her to a neurologist and a pulmonologist. A year later, she’s still waiting for her appointment. “It’s stressful, of course, because you don’t know what’s wrong with you. You wonder if it’s going to get worse. […]

A Listeria outbreak linked to plant-based drinks has grown to 18 known infections and more than a dozen hospitalizations, though no additional deaths have been reported, say federal health officials. On Tuesday, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced the number of cases has hit 12 in Ontario, four in Quebec, one in Alberta […]

A report into a massive E. coli outbreak at Calgary child-care facilities that saw hundreds fall ill says it was likely tied to meat loaf at one meal, but how it got there can’t be determined for sure. The report released Monday by Alberta Health Services (AHS) says it’s not possible to say if the […]

The rate of high blood pressure disorders in pregnancy has risen over the last decade in Canada, a new study suggests. The research, published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found that rates of hypertension and pre-eclampsia increased by 40 per cent between 2012 and 2021. “Blood pressure remains a cornerstone of maternal health […]

British Columbia’s top doctor says she is ending the public health emergency declared in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says after four years of mask mandates, gathering restrictions, vaccinations and hospitalizations, any remaining restrictions, including the vaccination requirement for health-care workers, are being rescinded.  Henry says […]

Doctors working to limit the spread of syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea — and their potential complications if left untreated — are turning to a promising new means of prevention.  It’s known as DoxyPEP, which stands for doxycycline (an antibiotic) post-exposure prophylaxis.  Some liken it to a “morning-after pill,” as you take it after sexual activity […]

Health Canada warns that  naloxone take-home kits (NTH kits) by Canadian Hospital Specialties Ltd. may contain incorrect naloxone dosing information on the “save me” instructional card. Following those instructions could impact the efficacy of the treatment when using the kits to reverse the effects of opioid overdose, Health Canada says in an announcement Friday. The […]

A confirmed case of measles in Moncton has prompted New Brunswick Public Health to issue a list of times and places where people could have potentially been exposed to the contagious disease. In a news release Friday night, the Department of Health said the case is likely the result of recent international travel. The release does not […]