The Government of Canada is dedicated to ensuring everyone in Canada has access to mental health services and supports, respecting their culture, background or experiences. To help achieve this goal, in September 2023, the Government of Canada announced $8 million in funding through the Distress Line Equity Fund to address gaps in equity, diversity and inclusion within Canada’s crisis and distress line sector.
Today, as part of Mental Health Week, the Honourable Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, announced over $4.5 million for 26 organizations who provide distress line services to help them build capacity to meet the diverse needs of Canadians.
Today is World Maternal Mental Health Day, a day to shine a light on the significant mental health challenges many women experience during pregnancy and after giving birth.
This National Immunization Awareness week, we’re celebrating all of the ways vaccines work to keep us healthy throughout our lives. By preventing illness, vaccination helps us to build healthier communities.
Today is a day to raise awareness of autism worldwide. It is a time where all are encouraged to improve their knowledge and understanding of the different experiences and characteristics of individuals on the autism spectrum. It is also a day to showcase the value that autistic perspectives bring to our workplaces, educational spaces and communities.
Today, the Honourable Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, announced $700,000 in funding for Maggie’s Place: A Resource Centre for Families Association, a community-based organization that has supported families with young children in Nova Scotia’s Cumberland and Colchester Counties for the last thirty years.
Today, the co-chairs of the federal, provincial, and territorial Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses – Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, and Dr. Yves Léger, New Brunswick's Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health – issued the following statement on the release of the latest monitoring data on opioid- and stimulant-related harms in Canada:
Today’s national data release on opioid-and stimulant-related harms shows us that the number of opioid-related deaths in Canada remains far too high. An average of 22 people are dying every day, and there are approximately 80 opioid-related poisoning emergency department visits per day.
Canada is currently experiencing an increase in measles activity, with cases reported in four provinces in 2024. As of today, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is aware of 40 measles cases in Canada this year, which is already more than three times the number of cases reported in 2023.
Encouraging youth to learn about healthy habits can have long-lasting, positive effects on their overall health as they grow up. Even more beneficial is when young people are empowered to define their own health goals, bring forward their own solutions, and inspire their peers to live in a healthy way.
