Student Blog

2020

The COVID-19 Endgame: How the Credibility of Public Health Could be Won or Lost

June 8, 2020

Public health officials all over the world have been featured prominently alongside political leaders as recommended control measures have been put in place to help slow the COVID-19 pandemic. To save lives and minimize disease transmission, physical distancing and social isolation are having a tremendously deleterious effect on economies, as well as people’s social and mental health. The trust being placed in our public health institutions could be jeopardized if the endgame of this outbreak is not effectively directed and managed.   The endgame I am referring to is the…

An Integrated Public Health, Health Care, and Social System Approach to Chronic Disease Prevention

June 8, 2020

With rates of chronic disease and multimorbidity on the rise, there has been an increased focus on prevention and a push for personalized care in the treatment and management of health conditions. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to addressing chronic diseases, and treatments need to be grounded in an understanding of the social determinants of health (SDOH) that predispose people to certain health conditions. Public health focuses on prevention, emphasizing interventions that promote upstream approaches targeting the SDOH. However, the health care system is not designed to support…

Help prevent the spread of COVID-19

April 17, 2020

This infographic was not produced by the Canadian Public Health Association. It was produced by a student member of the CPHA.

The infographic is also available in French, Spanish,

2019

Moral Distress in Healthcare: A Public Health Issue

October 11, 2019

Imagine facing a moral dilemma at work: you know what needs to be done, but feel prevented from doing what you think is right because of complex healthcare limitations such as understaffing, time constraints or a lack of resources (Rodney, 2017; Fortier, 2018). Moral distress is present in every field of nursing, and can happen even more frequently in fields where Registered Nurses (RNs) engage with vulnerable, disadvantaged and marginalized patient populations such as in the intensive care unit, emergency medicine, public health and community medicine (Walton, 2018).

Moral…

Period Poverty in Canada and around the Globe

June 25, 2019

Should menstrual products be considered a necessity covered by health insurance or, at the very least, made readily available in public restrooms? There is a growing argument that supports such initiatives. After all, menstruation is a biological process experienced by most women, and is not a choice.

Every month, women all over the world menstruate. In Canada, menstruation typically begins between the ages of 11 and 14, and ends at menopause, around the age of 50 (Healthwise Staff, 2017). Estimates suggest that the average woman spends upwards of six years menstruating over the…

An Overview of the Healthy Parks Healthy People Movement

April 15, 2019

“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, ‘This is what it is to be happy.’” ― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

Author and biologist Rachel Carson released her famous book, Silent Spring, in September 1962 (Lytle, 2007). Credited with starting and providing support to the environmental movement in North America, this book had far reaching impacts on overarching societal cultures, as well as government and private policies, in relation to the environment and nature (Vanderburgh, 2012)…

How does a post-legalization society restrain cannabis-impaired driving? Here are two strategies that Canada is using

March 11, 2019

Has legalization caused you to worry about an uptick in cannabis-impaired driving? An article authored by Laura Kane and published by the CBC on November 15th, 2018 suggests that your fears are misplaced. Anecdotes and preliminary data collected one-month post-legalization, from various police agencies across the country, indicate that cannabis-impaired driving did not increase (Kane, 2018). An officer interviewed in the article notes that marijuana’s widespread use in Canada prior to legalization means that we likely will not see a drastic change in the prevalence or incidence of impaired…

Do You Trust Me? How Changing Public Perceptions Might Influence Public Health in Canada

January 10, 2019

In a recent public opinion survey conducted by the Ontario Science Centre in August 2017,1 it was revealed that, amongst a representative sample of 1,514 Canadians, just under half (43%) agreed with the statement that “scientific findings are a matter of opinion”, and 31% agreed that “because scientific ideas are fluid and subject to change, they cannot be trusted”. In addition, only 43% of participants agreed that they trust the government for “accurate, fact-based information”.1

Given that overall, public trust in science seems to be decreasing, it is…

2018

An Uphill Trek

August 28, 2018

Before beginning my career in public health, I worked in acute medicine as a Registered Nurse. I enjoyed being on the front lines. I monitored fevers, mixed antibiotics and reoriented confused patients. I can still hear the beeps of IV pumps and call bells ringing in my sleep. A noise with the same pitch can make me jump up, look around and imagine the worst. I enjoyed this work because I helped people at their worst. I've been at the patient’s side when they are taking their last breath. I've helped a patient take their first steps after recovering from a stroke. I've comforted family…

The marathon of health equity and public health: My journey as an undergrad

July 9, 2018

I have always been passionate about promoting social justice. Growing up in Tanzania, I witnessed equity imbalances and was part of the United Nations (UN) Youth Clubs working to raise awareness and support UN goals and initiatives at the ground level. Although there has been positive progress in health care delivery in Tanzania, much remains to be done to improve overall living conditions of all citizens. Health equity and social justice are being addressed in many countries all over the world, and being an equity champion or change agent means having the sheer will to act and develop a…