Leqvio® advances toward broader access with agreement between Novartis and the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance Français
MONTRÉAL, Aug. 21, 2025 /CNW/ - Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of negotiations with the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) for the public reimbursement of Leqvio ® (inclisiran) for the treatment of adults with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH), a genetic condition characterized by elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), significantly increasing the risk of early cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. 1
"At HeartLife, we believe that people living with FH deserve timely access to the most effective therapies available," said Marc Bains, Co-Founder, HeartLife Foundation. "This agreement is an important step forward in closing long-standing gaps in care and expanding treatment options for patients who face a significantly higher risk of early heart disease. We are committed to working with partners across Canada to ensure these advances reach the people who need them most."
"Familial Hypercholesterolemia is underdiagnosed and undertreated, despite the significant cardiovascular risk it carries," said Dr. Liam Brunham, Canada Research Chair and Associate Professor at University of British Columbia and Co-Lead of FH Canada. "For many patients with FH, it is challenging to control LDL-C levels with standard therapies. Having access to advanced therapies is an important advance in the treatment of these patients. The conclusion of pCPA negotiations for this therapy is a positive sign towards expanded access to treatment options and closing an important gap in care."
"Concluding pCPA negotiations for Leqvio ® is a significant moment for Canadians living with HeFH," said Mark Vineis, Country President, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. "We're committed to working with provincial and territorial partners to help ensure timely and equitable access to this treatment option for patients with elevated cardiovascular risk."
Although this milestone represents meaningful progress, public reimbursement through provincial and territorial formularies has not yet been secured. As the next step, Novartis will collaborate with public drug programs towards timely access to treatment for eligible patients living with HeFH.
About Leqvio ® (inclisiran)
Leqvio ® is indicated as an adjunct to lifestyle changes, including diet, to further reduce LDL-C level in adults living with HeFH who are on maximally tolerated dose of a statin, with or without other LDL-C-lowering therapies. Leqvio ® was first approved by Health Canada in 2021 based on clinical trials that demonstrated its efficacy to safely lower LDL cholesterol 2,3,4 and received a positive funding recommendation from the Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) in 2021 for adults with HeFH. Since its commercialization in 2022, Leqvio ® has made a difference in the lives of more than 4,500 Canadians and 290,000 patients worldwide. 5
About Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including heart disease, stroke and vascular cognitive impairment, are responsible for the loss of one life every five minutes, 6 and are the second leading cause of death in Canada after cancer. 7 In Canada, heart disease is the leading cause of hospitalization among Canadian women, aside from giving birth, 8 and within the Canadian healthcare system, CVD accounts for $22 billion annually. 5 The five-year prevalence of ASCVD in Canada ranges between 6.91%-8.55% in adults. 6, 7 HeFH has an estimated prevalence of 1 in 250 to 311 individuals. 9,10,11
About Novartis
Novartis is a focused innovative medicines company. Every day, we work to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people's lives so that patients, healthcare professionals and societies are empowered in the face of serious disease. Our medicines reach more than 300 million people worldwide. Reimagine medicine with us.
In Canada, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. employs approximately 600 people to serve the evolving needs of patients and the healthcare system and invests over $30 million in R&D yearly in the country. For more information visit www.novartis.ca.
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SOURCE Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.
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Ottawa Citizen
3 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Tainted waters: B.C.'s oysters are making people sick. The cause is disturbing.
Over the past six years, more than a third of all federal recalls triggered by Canadian oysters trace back to Baynes Sound, a picturesque harvesting area on Vancouver Island with a long history of sewage-contaminated waters and complaints of government inaction Surrounded by shellfish presented raw on ice by some of the city's best chefs, Kapczynski said he chose to sample a few 'Fanny Bay' oysters harvested from the southern B.C. coastline. 'After three or four hours, I wished I was dead it hurt so much,' said Kapczynski, who was hit with severe abdominal pain and vomiting every 30 minutes for five hours. 'It was the most painful thing I've ever felt.' Over the past six years, more than a third of all federal recalls triggered by Canadian oysters on both sides of the border trace back to Baynes Sound, a picturesque harvesting area on Vancouver Island with a long history of sewage-contaminated waters and complaints of government inaction. The common link behind all of those recalls, outbreaks and illnesses is clear, according to government reports, shellfish farmers and experts: human waste flowing into the waters of Baynes Sound from nearby homes and passing boats. Since 2019, 14 of the 39 health recalls of Canadian oysters issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration come from this stretch of coastline where more than 50 individuals and companies are licensed to farm oysters. So far this year, all eight of the Canadian oyster shipments refused at the U.S. border have been from Baynes Sound. And in March, FDA officials issued public import warnings about oysters from two Baynes Sound suppliers. This isn't something farmers are doing to their oysters. This is something happening to the waters we grow them in Nico Prins, executive director of the B.C. Shellfish Growers Association 'This isn't something farmers are doing to their oysters. This is something happening to the waters we grow them in,' said Nico Prins, executive director of the B.C. Shellfish Growers Association. 'The underlying causes point to long-standing government failures, jurisdictional confusion and a lack of meaningful partnership with industry.' Although a variety of pathogens have been identified in oyster recalls, the most endemic is norovirus, which is fueled by raw sewage, typically from ships, recreational boats or homes along a shoreline. 'We have these recalls year after year, but we don't do a lot of work to prevent the recalls,' said Dr. Natalie Prystajecky, an environmental microbiologist at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control. 'It's human waste, absolutely. Norovirus is only transmitted from human to human. So if you have norovirus, you have been exposed to human fecal material.' Journalists from the Investigative Journalism Bureau and New York City News Service have analyzed six years worth of shellfish recall and outbreak data across Canada and the United States, and interviewed more than two dozen oyster farmers, consumers, aquaculture researchers and government officials to understand how human waste sitting on ocean floors is being transported vast distances and into the mouths of unsuspecting oyster consumers. That's what likely happened to many oyster lovers in Los Angeles and beyond in December 2024 when the oyster beds of Baynes Sound were closed by federal authorities just two days before the federal government issued a massive recall notice warning of 'possible norovirus contamination.' By that point, the suspected tainted mollusks were fanning out across the continent to restaurants, hotels, seafood festivals and grocery stores. A high-demand delicacy with an unfortunate characteristic Most oysters on the market — both raw and cooked — are safe. And the continental industry is growing. Canada's oyster market hit $66 million from 15,000 metric tonnes in 2022, the last year for which data is available. A decade earlier it was about 10,000 tonnes, valued at about $28.3 million. B.C. leads the country in oyster production with 7,371 tonnes. Americans consume 42.3 million pounds of oysters per year. In 2023, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration valued domestic oyster production at US$243 million. But most oysters consumed by Americans come from foreign waters. Canada is the leading exporter of oysters to the United States, with about 90 per cent of the country's production heading south. Last year alone, the U.S. imported about 10.6-million pounds of Canadian oysters. But while the gnarly shellfish have become a high-demand delicacy summoning a precious price from sophisticated foodies, they have an unfortunate characteristic: Oysters ingest organisms such as bacteria, viruses and other toxins in the ocean water where they are grown. That includes fecal matter. While all shellfish filter their food and pass it along to those who consume them, health risks are mitigated with mussels, clams and other shellfish because they are typically cooked. Not so with oysters, which are most often served raw on ice. It is an elusive problem to address. Norovirus is undetectable to those harvesting or serving the oysters. There is no smell. There is no taste. It is highly contagious. 'Noro is a real challenge. It's the second-leading cause of food-borne illness globally,' said Bob Rheault, a Rhode Island-based former oyster farmer and executive director of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association in the United States. 'It takes 10 viral particles to get you sick and every gram of vomit and feces has seven billion particles in it.' Tracing a norovirus spread back to its source is also tricky. By the time the bivalve gets to the grocery store or the restaurant where it will be shucked and consumed, multiple sets of hands have harvested, iced, packed, shipped and distributed them. The scope of the impact on oyster consumers is unknowable. It takes 10 viral particles to get you sick and every gram of vomit and feces has seven billion particles in it. Bob Rheault, executive director of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association Hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. and Canada get sick every year from norovirus. But a lack of reporting and monitoring make it impossible to know how many of those cases were caused by tainted oysters. In part, that is because most people do not provide a stool sample needed to prove the connection. 'Very few cases will actually have lab confirmation,' said Prystajecky at B.C. Centre for Disease Control, who calls official illness numbers a 'gross underestimation.' One factor complicating traceability is the prevalence of shellfish medley plates served at restaurants. Restaurants offering diners a variety of shellfish from multiple sources on the same plate, coupled with poor record keeping, makes it extremely difficult to identify the source of a potential contamination in the event of a reported illness. Kapczynski's contact with suspected tainted oysters happened at last year's L.A. Times 101 Best Restaurants, an annual event that features some of the most prestigious and elegant restaurants in Los Angeles. He said he consumed about a dozen pieces of shellfish that night including nine oysters and a few clams. Nearly 90 people were infected with norovirus at the Los Angeles seafood event that Kapczynski attended, according to the Los Angeles County Health Department. Sixteen sought medical care from the incident and two were hospitalized, the department said. But Kapczynski suspects the real number may be much higher. After the incident, he posted on social media asking if anyone who had attended the L.A. Times event had become ill. He says he quickly connected with others who experienced the same symptoms. The outbreak triggered recalls by oyster distributors across California, health advisories issued by the state's public health department and warnings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Canadian government about consuming oysters from Baynes Sound due to suspected norovirus contamination. Government passes buck from one agency to another Baynes Sound harvest areas dubbed 14-8 and 14-15 — near Denman Island on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island — are less than 200 kilometres from Vancouver. For generations, farmers in Baynes Sound have fanned out along the shellfish-rich coastline in boats, pulling up baskets, trays or cages containing oysters from the ocean floor. In shallow water, farmers pluck oysters by hand and place them into mesh bags Once collected, the oysters move to a federally inspected processing facility where they are graded and packed before being shipped to markets across Canada, the U.S. and beyond. Timothy Green is an expert in aquaculture at Vancouver Island University who studies shellfish production from an office overlooking the harvesting grounds of 14-8. He said human sewage contamination from failing septic systems in Baynes Sound is exacerbated by government buck-passing from one agency to another, repeatedly ending with inaction. 'It seems to be that the powers that be are absolutely powerless to stop this from happening,' he said. 'For some reason in North America, we just don't want to take care of our wastewater.' Government oversight of Canada's oyster industry is labyrinthine, spanning a range of agencies and departments at all three levels of government. Provincial and municipal governments are responsible for sewage infrastructure, treatment systems and land-use planning. In a written statement to reporters, B.C.'s ministry of health said it is difficult to monitor the source of the fecal contamination behind norovirus outbreaks. 'Current surveillance methods can only detect whether there is fecal bacteria in the water. Without knowing the source of contamination (for example human vs. animal) it is difficult to set up a mechanism to prevent the contamination from happening again.' Federally, four different agencies have various responsibilities for oyster monitoring. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) verifies shellfish entering the market are safe and recommends closing high-risk harvest sites to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), which issues the closures. Meanwhile, Transport Canada regulates sewage discharges from vessels, while Environment and Climate Change Canada sets and enforces national standards for wastewater. It's a crush of regulatory oversight. But it is failing consumers and triggering devastating impacts on harvesters, said oyster farmers in Baynes Sound. B.C. Shellfish Growers executive director Prins said industry revenues are down 35 per cent because of norovirus-related closures in Baynes Sound. 'And this year is going to be way, way worse. I wouldn't be surprised if companies and the industry will be down 50 per cent on sales.' Alex Munro, director of farming and processing for Fanny Bay Oysters, said his company suffered a 50 per cent drop in production from a three-month closure of the oyster beds from the December 2024 outbreak. 'Then this year we got slammed again for four or five months,' said the 30-year oyster producing veteran. 'We have an ongoing problem with human waste getting into the ocean and contaminating our products and we're trying very hard to identify where that's coming from and to try and get someone to fix it.' In addition to the December 2024 recall, the company was also named in oyster recalls in October 2023 and March 2022. Stellar Bay Shellfish in Baynes Sound was also shut down for six months this year and nearly that long in the previous two years, said Sean Reid, a third-generation oyster farmer and president of the company. The production losses totalled as much as $3 million. 'We do have rules about the functioning of your septic fields and systems,' he said. 'How would you not have enforcement and regulation on something as important as that for the environment?' Beyond the economic hit, blaring international headlines detailing oyster-related outbreaks and illnesses can have lasting reputational damage on the B.C. shellfish industry. 'Just the press we've had the last three years has been so damaging to the whole area that I have a lot of distributors that are like, 'I have a lot of customers that won't touch anything from Baynes Sound now,'' said Reid. 'We were in a lot of the larger hotel chain-type restaurants… and they, as a corporation said, 'We don't want product from there. There's too much liability associated with it.'' 'The only question is when' it will happen again Government reports and studies dating back more than two decades show repeated calls for more stringent regulation and oversight of the oyster harvesting waters of Baynes Sound. In December 2002, a quarter of the waters in Baynes Sound were closed for harvesting over concerns of sewage discharge from boats, according to documents from the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management Coast & Marine Planning Branch in B.C. 'A significant portion of Baynes Sound waters have been subjected to bacterial contamination from a variety of upland sources such as sewage and agricultural runoff,' the report concluded. The report called for action including inspections of aquaculture in Baynes Sound, letters sent to 'non-compliant operators as an initial step to bringing them back into compliance, and an enforceable code of practice for shellfish aquaculture.' Between November 2016 and May 2017, more than 400 Canadians were sickened after eating raw oysters from 12 B.C. shellfish farms that tested positive for contamination of norovirus, E. coli and other bacteria, according to a report by B.C. Centre for Disease Control. Half of those farms were in Baynes Sound. A prolonged outbreak closed 12 shellfish farms linked to norovirus illnesses, triggering economic losses of more than $9 million, according to a provincial report that called for more action to reduce the risks. 'How did norovirus contaminate so many different shellfish farms? Human sewage contamination of the marine environment,' the report concludes. 'What occurred in the 2016-17 season will occur again ― the only question is when.' The following year, at least 176 Canadians and 100 Americans were confirmed to have been infected with the norovirus linked to B.C. oysters that made their way to eight states and across Canada. Oysters from Baynes Sound were responsible for 'the majority of illnesses,' concluded B.C. Centre for Disease Control in a later report on the incident. 'Commercial fishing vessels are the most plausible source of human sewage and norovirus contamination,' the report concluded. One commercial fishing vessel operating in the Baynes Sound area reported that discharging sewage into the ocean was 'common practice.' In February 2022, the B.C. Shellfish Growers Association sent strongly worded letters to officials and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Environment and Climate Change Canada asking for meetings to discuss the 'devastating effect' of norovirus outbreaks linked to oysters cultured in the Baynes Sound. None agreed to meet, according to the association. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said in a written statement that it has maintained 'regular engagement with the B.C. Shellfish Growers Association,' and that norovirus contamination of shellfish is a 'shared responsibility that involves all levels of government, as well as other stakeholders.' Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) said in a written statement that it has been engaged in mitigation discussions around human waste and norovirus in Baynes Sound since 2022 when it convened a working group including agencies involved in the management of shellfish safety, waste regulation, public health, pollution control and enforcement. The statement does not reference any specific outcomes from the working group discussions. 'DFO remains open to continued dialogue with industry on possible collaborative approaches to address long-standing pollution challenges,' the statement said. Environment and Climate Change Canada did not respond to questions from the IJB. Three months after the B.C. Shellfish Growers Association reached out to the federal ministries, Canadian and American authorities issued warnings about raw oysters from 14-8 and 14-15 following a large outbreak of 192 norovirus illnesses reported from 13 states impacting more than 600 people. In February 2023, the association's Prins sent another letter, this time to the provincial ministry of health, again asking for a meeting. 'Our industry and farmers can no longer afford to have our businesses eroded or sit idle while we are the victims of a shameful practice and a failure of government,' the letter said. No meeting ever took place, he said. That same month — February 2023 — and again in December of that year, the FDA issued warnings after oysters from 14-8 suspected of carrying norovirus and Campylobacter jejuni — a food poisoning-causing bacteria commonly associated with animal feces — reached consumers across the U.S. Prins and his members have been hesitant to speak publicly about the concerns with contaminated waters where they earn their livelihood for fear of adding to the area's reputational damage. But their frustrations have reached a boiling point, he said. 'We are taking action to protect our customers and safeguard our farms. But we are limited. We don't have the authority, the tools or the resources to upgrade wastewater infrastructure, enforce regulation or monitor all the potential contributors to contamination. That is the job of government.' 'If we don't clean up our environment, it all ends up in the oysters' B.C.'s oyster fields aren't the only ocean waters in Canada compromised by suspected sewage-tainted oyster beds. 'Same issues here,' said Paul Budreski, who has been farming oysters along Nova Scotia's north shore for decades. 'We have poorly treated sewage systems … There has been very little attention from the federal and provincial governments.' On a recent summer morning Budreski's son — dressed in a black wetsuit — was sorting oysters just pulled from harvesting grounds in Chance Harbour, N.S., as his father looked on. They typically gather their catch by diving or snorkelling in shallow waters. The uniform-sized oysters are separated and sent to local restaurants. The rest go to loyal customers who care more about taste than aesthetics. Budreski holds two oyster leases. One of them is not far from an area that he said has been contaminated for decades. He believes the cause is obvious: failing septic systems and sewage runoff from a cluster of aging cottages nearby. Federal data obtained by the IJB shows 122 active shellfish farming closures since 2019 in the Northumberland Strait, an oyster-rich stretch of coastline along the north shore of Nova Scotia where Budreski harvests. The vast majority of those — 114 — were attributed to 'water quality or sanitary pollution source.' In September of last year, at least 550 people got sick from norovirus at the P.E.I. International Shellfish Festival, according to the province's chief health officer. Canada has 'very strict' guidelines on where it allows shellfish to be harvested, said Sarah Stewart-Clark, an associate professor of shellfish aquaculture at Dalhousie University in Truro, N.S. 'I say we're one of the best in the world at that part. That's not saying that we're the best in the world in ensuring all of our sewage is treated before it goes out into the ocean.' She said Canada could grow more food if the problem of untreated sewage was addressed. 'There's some areas where the municipality has not had any treatment of sewage,' she said. 'In other cities, they have developed sewage-treatment facilities, but they haven't separated their rainwater collection from that sewage treatment.' That lack of separation causes trouble during heavy rainfall, when treatment plants can become overwhelmed by the combined flow of sewage and rainwater, said Stewart-Clark. 'There are immediate closures whenever that happens to ensure that consumers are safe.' The risk of sewer overflows and runoff from extreme rain is increasing as water temperatures rise. Estuaries, where many oysters are cultivated, are in the direct line of these runoffs that can carry bacteria and toxins into rivers and eventually oceans where they can get into the oysters. 'They're going to pick up some of these pathogens that are being flushed down from the pastures, from the impermeable surfaces in the urban environment, and that's how they can get into the food chain,' said Jan Semenza, an environmental epidemiologist and associate at the Department of Sustainable Health at Umeå University in Sweden and Heidelberg Institute of Global Health in Germany. 'If we don't clean up our environment, it all ends up in the oysters.' Pictou oyster fisherman Budreski said it is time for governments to act. 'Who doesn't want clean water? We have a problem here … maybe we should do something about it.' The Washington state model While federal agencies in both Canada and the U.S. oversee oyster production, there remains a patchwork of state and provincial rules. Many experts and oyster harvesters in B.C. say they long for the approach they see just south of the border in Washington state, which they say is ahead of the curve in regulating, testing and preventing contaminated shellfish from entering the market. If an illness outbreak occurs from Washington shellfish, an epidemiologist will do an evaluation to determine the source of the illness. If it is determined that it is not food handling at the restaurant but the oysters themselves, the harvesting grounds are shut down and the department of health reviews the evidence to determine the source of contamination. 'We also try to define [if] there is an ongoing source occurring in this area where we need to have a long-term closure and work with our partners to get things fixed before we reopen,' said Scott Berbells, manager of Washington's Department of Health's shellfish growing area section. Part of that investigation involves shoreline inspectors who show up at contamination areas looking for evidence of failing septic systems or wastewater plants, as well as ships dumping human waste. 'We have staff that are in the field that are going door-to-door, that are walking over drain field areas, inspecting onsite sewage systems, interviewing homeowners about their systems,' said Berbells. 'Anything in the watershed that has the ability to impact the marine water we have to look at and evaluate and determine that the risk is low enough to allow shellfish harvesting.' That vigilance typically kicks into gear within hours, he said. 'If we get a report today, we try to be out in an area this afternoon, looking around, doing research, talking with our local health partners, trying to figure out what's going on.' The department also employs an environmental engineer who focuses on discharges from wastewater-treatment plants, marinas and other potential sources of contamination. If a cause is found, such as an old septic system oozing human waste into coastline waters, state officials from public health and local health authorities work together to strategize a fix, including offering loans and grants to homeowners to make the repairs. 'We don't just walk away and call the area prohibited and say we're done,' said Berbells. 'We work with our partners to try and find the problem and fix it.' If a contamination source is not identified, the harvest area will be closed for a minimum of 21 days to ensure the virus dies off, although it could be longer depending on the season. The state also takes a preventative approach to stopping contamination before it happens, including efforts to flag potential contamination sources in advance or closing harvest areas preemptively. 'We are constantly evaluating and reevaluating septic systems along the shoreline,' said Berbells. 'This includes periodic inspections of those systems, and really maintaining those systems so they do not fail, finding the problem before it's a failure, and fixing those minor problems before we have surfacing sewage in the area.' Vancouver Island University's Green said Washington state's commitment to solving the problem rather than just identifying it and moving on is key to the long-term health of our waters. 'We're not going to solve every norovirus outbreak, but we certainly should be able to reduce the number of big outbreaks.' 'I'll have a vendetta against oysters forever' Around the same time that Kapczynski was sliding B.C. oysters into his mouth in Los Angeles last year, Jaya Flanary was eating oysters from those same harvesting beds. Flanary was visiting Vancouver with her boyfriend, Isaiah, on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, from their home about 60 kms south in Washington state. Before they headed out to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park to see the canyon lights, the couple decided to dine at a downtown seafood market. That night on the cliffwalk at Capilano, her boyfriend of four years proposed. 'It was great until it wasn't,' she said. 'I'll have a vendetta against oysters forever.' By the next day, the couple's engagement celebrations were spent experiencing intense nausea, cramps and what Flanary described as 'the worst headache either of us have ever had.' 'We spent the entire night — his turn, my turn, his turn, my turn — projectile vomiting and s**tting the entire night. It was the worst experience ever,' she said. Flanary hasn't touched oysters since. Kapczynski, whose abdominal pain lingered for weeks after he consumed Baynes Sound oysters, has also avoided oysters ever since. 'I will not eat a raw oyster again, for a long time, if ever,' he said. Learning of the long history of contamination in the Baynes Sound from reporters, he said the answer is obvious. 'Our food supply is so critical,' he said. 'We have to do something about it.' Agatha Khishchenko and Andy Lehren are with the New York City News Service. The Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB) at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health is a collaborative investigative newsroom supported by Postmedia that partners with academics, researchers and journalists while training the next generation of investigative reporters.
Cision Canada
4 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health commits $1.75M to support further advances in women's health equity Français
TORONTO, Aug. 21, 2025 /CNW/ - There's a crisis in women's health: only 7 per cent of national funding 1 is allocated to women's health research yet 70 per cent of patients with "medically unexplained symptoms 2" are women. The disparity in research funding and increased burden of disease for women is leading to a lack of access to high quality care – and putting women's lives at risk. Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health ™ is pleased to announce that it has invested $1.75 million through its Community Grants Program to help improve the state of women's healthcare across Canada. The work of the 27 organizations receiving grants valued up to a maximum of $100,000 this year spans the women's health landscape addressing areas including improving access to health supports for women experiencing homelessness, gender-based violence, and those in remote or rural communities, as well as initiatives focused on maternal health, menstrual equity, and mental health. "The funding delivered across Canada through our Community Grants program supports vital local charitable programs, awareness initiatives and improved access to care for women," said Paulette Minard, Director of Community Investment at Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health. "Working together with these grant recipients, Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health is committed to making care more equitable and accessible so that all women in Canada can lead healthier lives." Since 2022, the Foundation has supported 99 community-led organizations including The BC Society of Transition Houses (BCSTH) through its Community Grants Program. BCSTH supports an extensive network of member organizations that represent anti-violence workers throughout British Columbia who provide services in women's transitional housing, safe homes and PEACE counselling programs for children and youth. With a donation of $100,000 from Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health, BCSTH was able to address menstrual education and equity as well as increase support through its BCSTH Menstrual Equity Project. "We are proud to partner with Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health to address critical gaps in women's healthcare," said Amy S. FitzGerald, Executive Director at the BC Society of Transition Houses. "Violence impacts not only women's safety and health, but also creates significant financial barriers to equality and well-being. With this grant, we were able to provide menstrual products to nearly 5,000 women, many in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities. This initiative has helped ease some of the burdens faced by women and girls living with violence, and we are deeply appreciative of the continued support from Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health." The full list of recipients of this year's Community Grants program include: Access to Care Christie Refugee Welcome Centre Inc. – Toronto, ON – (Refugee Women's Wellness Program) - $14,800 Malvern Family Resource Centre – Scarborough, ON – (SHE (Support for Health & Equity) Thrives: Expanding Women's Wellness in Malvern) - $19,900 Parkdale Food Centre – Ottawa, ON – (Bridge and Bloom: Supporting Primary Care Access for Women in Ottawa) - $40,000 Alberta Northwest Palliative Care Society – Grande Prairie, AB – (Strengthening the Volunteer Program for Women: Compassion is Contagious) - $50,000 St. John's Women's Centre – St. John's, NL – (Access to Wellness Equity Project -AWEP) - $75,000 GlobalMedic – Toronto, ON – (Mobile Access to Care Program) - $75,000 Ann Davis Transition Society – Chilliwack, BC – (ADTS Mobile Outreach & Connections Project) - $98,746 Sistering-A Woman's Place – Toronto, ON – (Breaking Barriers: Equitable Healthcare for Women and Gender-Diverse People) - $99,475 Street Health Community Nursing Foundation – Toronto, ON – (Pathway to Health & Wellness Women's Drop-In) - $100,000 Vancouver Women's Health Collective Society – Vancouver, BC – (Vancouver Women's Health Collective: Expanding Capacity, and Inclusive Care in the DTES) - $100,000 S.O.S. Grossesse – Quebec City, QC – (Centre de Santé des Femmes de la Capitale-Nationale) - $100,000 Le Reflet (formerly Vide ta sacoche) – Quebec City, QC – (Mieux-être, estime et dignité pour les femmes en situation de vulnérabilité) – $100,000 Gender-Based Violence True North Society – Strathmore, AB – (Advancing Women's Equality) - $20,000 Stepping Stones Crisis Society – Cold Lake, AB – (Circle of Care: Nutrition, Connection, and Wellness for Women) - $33,500 North Shore Crisis Services Society – North Vancouver, BC – (The Welcome Program) - $35,000 Campbell River and North Island Transition Society – Campbell River, BC – (Women's Empowerment Through Better Health Program) - $58,874 Maternal Health First Steps Housing Project – Saint John, NB – (First Steps Residency Program) - $61,790 Shifra Homes Inc. – Burlington, ON – (Health Supports for Homeless Pregnant Women at Shifra Homes) - $75,000 Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation – Sydney, NS – (Family Newborn TLC Fund) - $80,000 The Black Women's Institute for Health – Toronto, ON – (Mothering Minds: Motherhood & Mental Health Support) - $100,000 London Health Sciences Foundation – London, ON – (Shoppers Foundation Women's Care Cupboard) - $100,000 Strongest Families Institute / L'institut des Familles Solides – Bedford, NS – (Strongest Beginnings: Equitable Perinatal Mental Health Support Without Barriers) - $100,000 Menstrual Equity Partageons l'espoir (Québec) – Montreal, QC – (FREE feminine hygiene products for all women at our food bank Initiative) - $13,380 United Way of Central Alberta Society – Red Deer, AB – (Period Promise in Central Alberta) – $20,000 Projets autochtones du Québec – Montreal, QC – (Atakaritétshera - Pour la santé et la sécurité des femmes autochtones) - $20,520 L'institut de l'innovation / Innovation Institute – Montreal, QC – (The Refugee Centre Hygiene Basket Initiative) - $60,000 BC Society of Transition Houses – Vancouver, BC – (BCSTH Menstrual Equity Project) - $100,000 Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health is a registered charity. For more information on the Foundation, please visit: About Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. is one of the most recognized and trusted names in Canadian retailing. The company is the licensor of full-service retail drug stores operating under the name Shoppers Drug Mart ® (Pharmaprix ® in Québec). With more than 1,350 Shoppers Drug Mart ® and Pharmaprix ® stores operating in prime locations in each province and two territories, the company is one of the most convenient retailers in Canada. Shoppers Drug Mart ® is an independent operating division of Loblaw Companies Limited. About Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health – the charitable arm of Shoppers Drug Mart ® – is committed to helping Canadian women lead healthier lives, by making care more equitable and accessible. The Foundation will invest $50M by 2026 to address some of the most pressing health inequities facing women, including lack of representation in health research, barriers to accessing mental healthcare, and the urgent consequences women disproportionately face due to poverty and domestic violence. Learn more at
Cision Canada
4 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Specsavers Canada highlights 45% of children are not receiving regular eye exams as myopia rate increases
Not so fast, myopia: Specsavers emphasizes the importance of early detection through regular eye exams as nearsightedness rates in children continue to grow TORONTO, Aug. 21, 2025 /CNW/ - Myopia (also known as nearsightedness) rates in Canadian children have steadily increased in recent years – progressing faster than in previous generations 1; however, according to a recent Specsavers Canada survey, conducted by Angus Reid Group, 82% of Canadians are unaware of this increase 2. "We're seeing a significant rise in the number of children being diagnosed with nearsightedness, more than ever before," says Naomi Barber, Clinical Services Director at Specsavers Canada. "While lifestyle changes such as spending more time outdoors and limiting screen use can help slow the progression of myopia, there is more that can be done to slow the progression and optometrists are at the frontline of this intervention. Specsavers is committed to raising awareness among parents about the importance of early detection. Making annual eye exams part of the back-to-school routine is a key step in helping to manage and control myopia in children." The Canadian Association of Optometry recommends that school-aged children receive a comprehensive eye exam every year until the age of 19. Yet, the recent national Specsavers survey revealed 45% of school-aged children in Canada are not receiving annual eye exams as recommended 2. This gap in routine eyecare is concerning, especially as rates of childhood myopia continue to rise. As part of its mission to change lives through better sight, Specsavers is encouraging parents to include a comprehensive eye exam as part of their back-to-school routine. For children diagnosed with myopia, there are specific types of glasses and contact lenses that can help slow the progression of the condition. Specsavers offers several of these solutions, with savings available during the back-to-school season. Visiting an Optometrist from a young age is important. Early intervention can help reduce children's risk of developing long-term sight-threatening conditions. Specsavers locations offer comprehensive eye exams by independent optometrists, including optical coherence tomography (OCT), a 3D advanced eye health scan that examines the back of the eye. The scan helps to assess eye health in detail and detect other causes that may be contributing to visual impairment. Children are covered for annual eye exams if they are under a provincial health care plan in most provinces. "So much of parenthood is about preparing our little ones for a bright future," adds Barber, "Whether they have their sights set on being explorers, athletes, artists, scientists or musicians, we want to make sure they're ready to do so with confidence and clear vision." Parents interested in learning more about myopia management or scheduling an eye exam for their child can visit About Specsavers Specsavers is an optometrist-owned business that entered the Canadian market in late 2021. Since then, over 158 locations have opened across the country, in B.C., Alberta, Ontario, and Manitoba. As part of Specsavers' commitment to accessible eyecare, Specsavers equips every location with optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology, which helps optometrists to detect sight-threatening conditions, such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic eye disease, in their earliest stages. Founded in the UK 40 years ago by optometrist husband-and-wife team, Doug and Mary Perkins, there are now more than 2,700 Specsavers healthcare businesses globally, serving over 44 million patients and customers. Specsavers is driven by its purpose of "changing lives through better sight" and aims to transform the way Canadians experience eyecare by offering exceptional service, advanced clinical equipment and affordable and quality eyewear.
