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Canadian Public Health Association

In the news


2017

Local agency marks World AIDS Day

November 30, 2017

Boucher said as an educator he reminds people to be respectful of those living with HIV, especially when they come out. A long-standing concern is the fear associated with getting tested. The Canadian Public Health Association says 21 per cent of people living with HIV in Canada are unaware of their infection. The Canadian public health agency estimates that there were 2,570 new infections of HIV in 2014.

Treating the climate with coal phase-out

November 29, 2017

Canada, the UK and partners announced a global alliance to phase-out coal power at COP23 in Bonn, Germany. It was an honour to speak on behalf of the health community at the launch, as coal-power phase-out is a key recommendation of the 2017 Lancet Countdown Report and the Countdown’s associated UK brief, as well as the Canadian Brief which I co-authored on behalf of the Canadian Public Health Association.

As National Legalization Looms, Advertising Takes the Spotlight in Canada

November 29, 2017

Ian Cuthbert, an executive director with the Canadian Public Health Association, said that their preference is for a complete ban on marketing. He doesn’t think that such a ban would stand up to a challenge in the country’s Supreme Court, so he would settle for advertising in retail outlets restricted to adults only.

Marijuana advent calendar sales soar despite health warnings

November 26, 2017

It will not be tamper proof I’m quite certain meaning that it will be quite easy for children to get access to the cannabis-containing products inside. You don’t know what you’re getting in this package because there are absolutely no regulations. Stop trying to market inappropriate, unnecessary products to Canadians.

Did a pot overdose kill a baby? Controversial paper on infant's death raises questions

November 21, 2017

And a letter in the most recent issue of the Canadian Journal of Public Health warns the addition of edibles to the market “will inevitably exacerbate the already significant and economic burden of food-borne disease in the Canadian population.”

Daycares aren’t always serving the nutritious food they promise, Canadian study finds

November 14, 2017

But it is a problem elsewhere in Canada, according to a new Canadian study published Thursday in the Canadian Journal of Public Health. According to researchers at Université de Sherbrooke in Québec, the food children are being served at daycare centres may not always be as nutritious as parents are led on to think — especially in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan, a new Canadian study warns.

New Brunswick child-care centres missing the mark on nutrition, study finds

November 12, 2017

The food served at New Brunswick child-care centres is not meeting nutritional recommendations, according to a new report published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health. Researchers analyzed the food served at 24 child-care centres in New Brunswick and 37 in Saskatchewan. "We saw lots of fries and chicken nuggets and fish sticks and elbow macaroni," said Stephanie Ward, a registered dietitian and one of the authors of the report, entitled "Lunch is ready … but not healthy."

Inside the fight to label sugary, salty and fatty foods in Canada

November 9, 2017

The government and health groups were in favour of a simple design, modelled after a "stop" or "yield" sign. They brought up expert after expert who testified to the benefits of a clear, easy-to-understand symbol. But the food and drink industry reps were not having it. They termed it the "big, scary stop sign" and accused government of trying to "scare" Canadians. At the same time, they argued the designs were patronizing – overly simplistic, and not allowing for nuance or context. "Frankly, I think taking an approach like this is just not giving Canadians the respect they deserve," said Lewis Retik, a lawyer hired by the food industry to attend the meeting. "They're not idiots." As Mr. Retik continued to speak, one man who had been listening with growing consternation – Ian Culbert, the head of the Canadian Public Health Association – had heard enough. Video of the meeting shows Mr. Culbert shaking his head and grabbing the microphone to interject. Soon, both men were talking over one another with raised voices.

How to resolve the planet's 'biggest health threat'

November 3, 2017

“Human symptoms of climate change are unequivocal, potentially irreversible and affecting the health of populations around the world today,” said the Canadian Public Health Association.

Le changement climatique nous rend déjà malades, selon des experts

November 3, 2017

Le récent rapport du Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change avertit que si les symptômes des changements climatiques sont clairs depuis bon nombre d'années, les impacts pour la santé de la population sont bien pires que ce qu'on croyait auparavant. L'inaction au sujet de l'environnement met des vies en danger, tranche-t-il. C'est aussi le cas au pays, si l'on se réfère au volet spécifique au Canada qui accompagnait ce rapport mondial, auquel s'est alliée l'Association canadienne de santé publique. L'urgentologue canadienne Courtney Howard, qui exerce son métier à Yellowknife, est son auteure principale. Elle y fait état de plusieurs conséquences des changements climatiques qui portent atteinte à la santé des Canadiens.