Student Blog

2023

Big Alcohol and the Commercial Determinants of Health: What can public health do?

April 6, 2023

Callie Anderson is completing her Masters of Public Health at the University of Waterloo. She currently works as a Health Promoter developing programs and advocating for policies to improve public health and health equity at the community level.

What are the Commercial Determinants of Health? The commercial determinants of health (CDoH) are “the strategies and approaches the private sector uses to promote products and choices that are detrimental to health.”1 The concept of the CDoH has only relatively recently emerged as…

How public health should address high rates of mental illness in South Asian communities in Canada

April 6, 2023

It is imperative to address why some populations benefit from health services, while others do not. One example is the persisting low mental health rates among South Asian (SA) groups in Canada, which are significantly due to a lack of service uptake stemming from cultural barriers and lack of trust in the Western health care system. Given that strides have been made in ensuring mental illness awareness and healthcare opportunities, targeted solutions are needed to increase the use of mental health services by SA communities and other racialized populations. 

The Statistics…

What public health workers can do to improve First Nations family health: Dealing with health disparities that arise due to race

February 27, 2023

There are many different definitions of what a health disparity is, but the general agreement is that “[h]ealth disparities are inequitable and are directly related to the historical and current unequal distribution of social, political, economic, and environmental resources” between different groups of people.1

One health disparity that is currently very prevalent in society is race. 

An article from the Canadian Journal of Public Health states well that “[r]ace is often…

Post-COVID Condition, Data Collection, and Health System Capacity: Preparing for Canada’s future

February 16, 2023

Over the past two years, evidence has emerged to suggest that the impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) extend beyond the acute phase of illness. This chronic illness, known as long COVID or post-COVID-19 condition (PCC), affects more than 1.4 million Canadians1 who are experiencing prolonged multi-system symptoms three months or longer after an initial COVID-19 infection.2—5 In a recent review of 102 primary studies, approximately 50% of the included studies reported PCC-related social impairment, worker absenteeism, and loss of employment.6 PCC…

Household food insecurity: it’s not just about food

January 13, 2023

Food bank use in Canada reached its highest level in history in March 2022. At nearly 1.5 million visits, this represents a 15% increase since 2021 and a 35% increase since 2019. This record occurs while many Canadians are experiencing crushing costs of living and inflation combined with wages and social supports that do not keep up with needs. In fact, food bank use significantly underestimates the severity of food insecurity. The pervasive focus on food banks as a strategic solution to household food insecurity highlights misplaced government priorities and a lack of progress. 

2022

Africa’s first local manufacturer of COVID-19 vaccines forced to shut down?

October 6, 2022

In November 2021, Aspen Pharmacare in South Africa finalized an agreement to manufacture Africa’s first ever COVID-19 vaccine. This monumental deal meant that Strive Masiyiwa, the African Union’s COVID-19 vaccine lead, could finally have some peace of mind. 

In a statement issued by Aspen, Mr…

Phthalates and BPA: Inaction by the Government of Canada Poses a Health Risk to Canadians

May 16, 2022

As a Canadian consumer, it is likely that the detergent, cosmetics, or toys you bought on a recent shopping trip, as well as the packaging of your food and your shopping receipt, contains chemicals such as phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA). Phthalates are a large group of chemicals, often used to make plastics more flexible and durable, but they can also be found in shampoos and detergents, cosmetics, and even plastic packaging. The most common types of phthalates that are found in consumer goods include DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP and DNOP. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical found in the…

Meet Your New CPHA Student Director

February 13, 2022

Hello! My name is Camisha Rahmatian, and I am a Bachelor of Applied Science student majoring in Public Health at Ryerson University. I am beyond excited and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Student Director of CPHA for the next two years, working alongside my fellow board members with their various experiences and expertise. 

I started my journey at CPHA by getting involved in committees under the supervision of Monica Emode, the previous student director, and I owe much of my skill building and interest development in public health leadership to her. Thank you…

Infodemic and public health professional's response: my crossed experience in Canada and West Africa

January 24, 2022

As a health professional trained in Africa, I have been disconcerted to see how rumours can travel rapidly from one continent to another. All this false information in public health now has a name: the infodemic. The WHO defines infodemic as “an overabundance of information, both online and offline,” which is characterized by “deliberate attempts to disseminate wrong information to undermine the public health response and advance alternative agendas of groups or individuals” (WHO, 2020a). Although explanations of infodemic in Africa and Canada are scattered, several myths or issues are…

Student Experiences – Internships, Practicum Placements, Public Health Conferences, Workshops

January 6, 2022

My experience as a postdoctoral intern at the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) has been awesome. I was enrolled in a project aiming to address misinformation regarding HPV vaccination among parents of children aged from 9 to 15 and influenza vaccination among health professionals. This internship took place in the frame of a Mitacs Accelerate grant, which means I was involved in the project from the first step – writing of the proposal. 

This internship was very instructive for me. At the beginning, we had an idea of the topic; the challenge for me was to find my…