Duclos Meets with G7 Health Ministers

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos flew to Japan where he met with his G7 Health Minister counterparts to talk about pandemics, how to achieve more resilient and sustainable universal health coverage, and antimicrobial resistance as his government back home rushes to get priority legislation through Parliament.

On that, and more, here is your Syntax Weekly Health Roundup.

• At Committee
  • With the Session quickly winding down, the government has begun using time allocation to pass key pieces of its pre-recess to-do list, led by a Bill to update Canada’s environmental protection laws, which received notice of time allocation this week. Another such Bill is the Liberal’s gun legislation, Bill C-21, which was rushed by the government to be passed on to the Senate. For Marco Mendicino, who’s faced tough tests during his time as Public Safety Minister (including the Freedom Convoy), the poor roll-out of this Bill has left him an easy early target on your Cabinet-shuffle bingo card. Also pressing on the government’s radar when it returns will be to pass the Budget Implementation Act by the end of Session in late June. 
  Around Cabinet
  • Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos travelled as part of a broader Canadian delegation to meet with his G7 partners in Japan, where the conversation included pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response; how to achieve more resilient, equitable and sustainable universal health coverage; and promoting innovation to address health issues like antimicrobial resistance (AMR), dementia, healthy aging, and climate change. The Health Ministers also held a joint session with G7 Finance Ministers to discuss how the G7 can collaborate effectively and efficiently with international organizations on funding for health emergencies. At the meeting, Minister Duclos emphasized Canada’s continued commitment to global health and advocated for more collective attention to human health resources and mental health, as well as equitable sexual and reproductive health and rights. 
  • While in Japan, Minister Duclos announced an investment of $6.3 million to Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X), a non-profit organization and global partnership working to address the threat of antibiotic resistance. The investment is meant to support Canadian research groups and industry in their research and development efforts for therapeutic and diagnostic solutions to fight AMR. 
  Around the Dominion
  • In Newfoundland, the government announced the establishment of a new Manager of Physician Relations position within the Department of Health and Community Services to continue strengthening its relationship with the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association. The position is part of the Shared Agenda for Family Medicine, which addresses issues related to the retention of the province’s family physician workforce. 
  • In New Brunswick, it was announced that pharmacists are now publicly funded to assess and prescribe for seven more illnesses and conditions, including contact allergic dermatitis, cold sores, mild to moderate eczema, gastroesophageal reflux disease, impetigo, Lyme disease prevention after a high-risk tick bite, and mild acne. 
  • In PEI, the Speech from the Throne to open the legislative session following the re-election of the Progressive Conservative government highlighted key items the government intends to deliver on across healthcare, housing, and affordability. Of note, the province intends to address health human resources shortages by reducing barriers to recognizing credentials of foreign-trained healthcare practitioners, including by launching an Associate Physician license, and by providing free tuition for students training to become RCWs, LPNs, RNs, and paramedics.