What do U.S. politics surrounding health mean for Canada and how should we respond?

The Trump administration’s successive crackdowns on its healthcare system and research—the latest of which is the announcement of the elimination of nearly 10,000 positions within the U.S. Department of Health—are both a challenge and an opportunity for Canada, several Canadian experts and ministers discussed Thursday during a panel discussion at the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) Health Summit.The first challenge that healthcare professionals, institution and governments must address is misinformation and the lack of reliable information, from which Canadians are not protected, warned CMA President Dr. Joss Reimer.“On social media, the algorithm pushes this misinformation, even here. However, patients seek answers online when they don’t have access to a healthcare provider—23% of those surveyed have already experienced harm because they followed online advice.”She says the confusion is all the greater given the political interference in the otherwise reliable content disseminated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Indeed, the Trump administration banned several terms from the CDC’s scientific research—such as “gender” and “diversity”—leading to the disappearance of more than 3,000 pages from the CDC website, according to an analysis conducted in early February. This measure, among others, has led to successive waves of departures within the institution, the latest of which involved five senior leaders who resigned on Tuesday.“The consequences of questioning vaccine efficacy and cutting CDC content are considerable, with risks as great for the United States as for the world,” lamented Dr. Tom Frieden, former CDC director. “This will make the United States sicker.”The doctor added that, in addition to having major social consequences, such a step backward is counterproductive, as it harms American productivity and the economy.Disseminating and promoting scientific researchFaced with this breach of trust and these obstacles to the dissemination of verified, evidence-based information, Canada has a key role to play, said Apoorva Mandavilli, a health journalist at the New York Times.“Canadian health agencies could help Americans find information on vaccines, for example, based on protected and sourced data.” —Apoorva MandavilliBanning the use of certain terms renders scientific data unusable and could have a significant impact on the appropriateness of care provided to the population.Canadian health policies and professionals must embrace transparency and integrity, and make information visible, argued Uzoma Asagwara, deputy premier and minister of Health, Seniors, and Long-Term Care of Manitoba.Similarly, allaying public mistrust of health information can only be achieved through clear and transparent communication, added Dr. Andrew Furey, premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. “Half the American population voted for this administration, and we must ask ourselves why.” We must address the public’s questions in a straightforward manner and ensure that physicians are represented within the provincial and federal governments to restore trust in the system.”“Physicians should be able to practice everywhere.”Beyond communicating and protecting scientific research, the Canadian healthcare system must build on its strengths and remove barriers to medical practice, panel participants emphasized. The CMA President and the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador thus called for the recognition of the practice license nationally.“We must break down silos and share our data, as we did during the COVID-19 pandemic, whether it’s data on infectious diseases or the healthcare system. Doctors should be able to practice anywhere, like in the Atlantic provinces,” said Dr. Furey, criticizing provincial practice restrictions for physicians—a measure at the heart of Bill 83, introduced by Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé. The premier of Newfoundland and Labrador also pointed to the administrative burden, which remains heavy for doctors across the country.The third opportunity highlighted by stakeholders, particularly by Ontario Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, is to reappropriate medical resources, a large portion of which come from the U.S. “We have started manufacturing a COVID vaccine in Ontario. But we must do more by removing interprovincial barriers. We did this during the pandemic, and it was a great lesson.” For his part, Dr. Furey, emphasized the importance of protecting supply chains.“We must promote and disseminate evidence-based research and data, be clear about how they are collected, and be clear about our values regarding information.” —Uzoma AsagwaraBut making the system stronger and more reliable cannot be achieved without investment. Dr. Tom Frieden proposed “taxing tobacco, alcohol, soda and junk food.” He called this a “win-win” solution in which everyone would benefit. “This would increase revenue, reduce healthcare costs, and make the population healthier.”For her part, the CMA president advised the audience, both in the room and online, to take advantage of the upcoming federal election to question candidates from different parties about their actions to protect the healthcare system.“Our healthcare system is better than that of the United States, but it faces many challenges and needs improvement. The potential is there, but it will depend on Canada’s next leader.” —Dr. Joss Reimer

What do U.S. politics surrounding health mean for Canada and how should we respond?

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