Health

Plastics are seeping into farm fields, food and eventually human bodies. Can they be stopped?

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — In Uganda's Mbale district, famous for its production of arabica coffee, a plague of plastic bags locally known as buveera is creeping beyond the city. It's a problem that has...

Log out or lean in? How to balance social media and your mental health

We’ve all heard how social media can have a negative impact, but unfortunately putting your phone down can be a tricky task. New research out of the University of British Columbia shows there’s...
The power of punctuality and what it says about you

Punctuality – its definition and importance really depend on who you speak to. A recent study out of the UK shows a generational divide when it comes to tardiness and how it could be perceived by...
Five years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic - what have we learned?

It was five years ago today the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic because of the novel coronavirus. It marked the start of a very different way of life, disrupting almost every part...
World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic five years ago today

Five years ago, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic of the novel coronavirus, setting off a series of policies that transformed Canadians' lives for years. The WHO's declaration followed...
'How did we survive?' What Canadians recall — and don't — about the COVID-19 pandemic

There had been warning signs for months. There were the reports of dangerous flu-like symptoms in Asia. News of the lockdown that kept tens of millions of people inside their homes in China. Here at home,...
Understanding the measles outbreak and what’s truly at stake

It's a preventable crisis – that’s the message from many public health officials when describing the recent measles outbreaks in parts of Canada and the United States. The highly contagious viral...
As the U.S. threatens tariffs on medications, the first provincial pharmacare deal is signed

The Trudeau government has signed its first provincial deal to implement the first stage of its national pharmacare plan. The agreement with Manitoba comes just weeks before a possible federal election...
Why Canada needs national licensing for doctors

In today's The Big Story podcast, doctors in Canada can’t move between provinces to practice medicine without going through cumbersome licensing requirements and a sea of government red tape. It’s...
Government of Canada buys 500K doses of human avian influenza vaccine

It's better to have a vaccine and not to need it, than to need a vaccine and not to have it. That's basically what the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said in a release on Wednesday announcing...