The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) and the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) are pleased to announce the release of a joint report from an expert panel that reviewed Canada’s past, present and future role in advancing health globally.
“The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how health in Canada is inextricably linked with what happens in the rest of the world,” said Dr. Kelley Lee (FRSC), the panel’s co-chair. “Moreover, the major changes currently taking place in the global health landscape requires Canada to quickly adapt.”
The report, titled “Protecting our Collective Future: Renewing Canada’s Role in Global Health,” emphasizes the urgency for leadership that recognizes the growing interconnectedness of domestic and global health in the 21st century. This interlinkage extends well beyond infectious diseases to food security, pharmaceutical availability, environmental degradation and labour markets for health workers – critical global health issues that Canada cannot afford to ignore. This shift means moving beyond an era of global health defined narrowly as development assistance to low- and middle- income countries to one where Canada brings a global lens to all of its investments in health and health research.
The panel has thus put forth an agenda to renew Canada’s engagement in global health that recognizes both its national and international relevance through four priority areas of focus:
- Building equitable, universal health systems centered on women and primary care;
- Advancing one health security for health emergency readiness with equity and sustainability benchmarks;
- Revitalizing health promotion and protection to enhance well-being across the life course; and
- Urgently tackling the health workforce crisis with innovative approaches to health worker migration.
The report then sets out three ways Canada can advance these priorities:
- Setting a global health strategy;
- Bolstering Canada’s research and innovation systems to be globally fit-for-purpose; and
- Appointing a global health ambassador, tapping top talent through a global health hub, and training next generation leaders.
“The health of Canadians and the vitality of our health sector depends increasingly on effective cross-border engagement,” said Dr. Tim Evans, the panel co-chair. “Repositioning Canada’s leadership in global health has never been more important.”
The report is the result of evidence reviews, extensive consultations and thoughtful panel discussions beginning in 2023.
The report and full list of panel members can be found HERE.
For media or communications requests, please contact Paige Beveridge at communications@rsc-src.ca.
