Alberta is in the midst of a measles outbreak — and you would hardly know it. Unlike during the COVID-19 pandemic, our provincial leaders are keeping quiet. We are not receiving regular updates from the Chief Medical Officer of Health, nor has the premier publicly endorsed the most effective way to stop this outbreak: vaccination.Continue reading “Politics vs Public Health”
Category Archives: Community
Ordinary people can do extraordinary things
We live in a time of complex and wicked problems: climate change, economic inequality, violent conflict and human rights violation. These problems seem too large to tackle and much too difficult to solve. What can the ordinary person do but throw up their hands in despair or stick their head in the sand and tryContinue reading “Ordinary people can do extraordinary things”
No health without mental health
Mental health needs are receiving more attention in recent years, but there still remain huge gaps in understanding and acceptance of mental health issues. Community members often suffer in silence due to stigma that prevents people from asking for help or discussing addictions, suicide and life trauma openly with their friends, colleagues or family members.Continue reading “No health without mental health”
We are stronger together
Death, politics and religion – three topics we are told to avoid at parties and the family dinner table. But in this age of polarization and uncivil public discourse, we might have to reconsider this stance. It is time to relearn how to have difficult conversations with kindness and mutual respect. We can add racismContinue reading “We are stronger together”
Albertans deserve better health care now
Over half a million Albertans don’t have a family doctor, stressed families are waiting for hours in the emergency room with sick children, and frail seniors are living in pain for months, or even years, awaiting much-needed surgery. We expect our government to be urgently working to address these pressing healthcare issues. But what haveContinue reading “Albertans deserve better health care now”
Choosing health over corporate profits
January is a month when many of us promise we will try harder to become or stay healthy. We make New Year’s resolutions to eat better and lose weight. But by March or April, many of us feel deflated for not having enough willpower to maintain our commitment towards healthier eating. Over the past fewContinue reading “Choosing health over corporate profits”
A Family Physician for Every Albertan
All some people want for Christmas is a family doctor. A report released earlier this month from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) shows that 1 in 7 visits to the emergency department is for a condition that can be treated by a primary care provider – a family doctor or a nurse practitioner. Continue reading “A Family Physician for Every Albertan”
Seasonal Vaccines Save Lives
The season of deadly respiratory viruses is here. While some people suffer minor inconveniences from respiratory infections, others can experience life-threatening events resulting in hospitalization, ICU admission or worse. Respiratory viruses like influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are more prevalent in the months from fall to spring and can have very serious consequencesContinue reading “Seasonal Vaccines Save Lives”
Local newspapers strengthen democracy
Local newspapers are disappearing across the country. In the United States, a quarter of the country’s newspapers have shut operations in less than twenty years. And in Canada, there have been dozens of community newspaper closures in 2023 alone, with hundreds of workers laid off and several news outlets becoming insolvent. Along with decreased subscriptions,Continue reading “Local newspapers strengthen democracy”
Wildfire damage can be greatly reduced
Albertans are no strangers to the destruction of wildfires. Jasper, Fort McMurray, Slave Lake, and Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation are all communities devastated by wildfire in recent years. We empathize with those who lost their homes, their businesses or their jobs and bear witness to the challenges they face to rebuild their communities and theirContinue reading “Wildfire damage can be greatly reduced”
