Latest news with #SexualandReproductiveHealthFundProgram
Epoch Times
07-05-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
Carney Vows to Boost Number of Doctors, Pledges $4B to Build Health-Care Facilities
Liberal Leader Mark Carney has presented key planks of his health-care platform which includes $4 billion in new funding to build health-care infrastructure, as well as a plan to increase the number of doctors in the country through various measures such as increasing spaces in medical schools. Carney made the announcement while visiting Charlottetown on April 21, one week before the general election is held. The Liberal leader stayed on his message that Canada is facing the 'biggest crisis in our lifetime' due to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and said his plan to 'build Canada strong' has health care at its 'core.' 'In the U.S., health care is a big business. In Canada, it is a right,' Carney said. 'It is a right that my government will fight for and invest in.' Carney said a Liberal government would spend $4 billion to build and renovate community health-care infrastructure such as long-term care homes and community clinics. The Liberals' costed Related Stories 4/20/2025 4/19/2025 Carney's health plan also aims to increase the number of doctors in Canada by thousands to address the longstanding shortage. The Canadian Medical Association Carney said he plans to increase the number of doctors by expanding medical school spaces, building new medical schools, recruiting more doctors internationally, and streamlining the recognition of credentials from foreign-trained doctors and nurses. 'So to the Canadian health-care professionals practicing in the U.S., let me say this: if you've been thinking about coming back to Canada, there's never been a better time to come home,' Carney said. The Liberal platform has earmarked $750 million to expand medical schools and residency positions. Carney has also pledged to reduce the administrative burden on doctors. Although specific details have not been released, the initiative is projected to incur a cost of $400 million over the next four years. The College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Canadian Medical Association have Women's Health Carney has also pledged to continue funding abortion access by making the Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund Program permanent. He has earmarked $20 million annually in fiscal 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 for the program. Carney also pledged to establish a federal in-vitro fertilization program worth $412 million over four years, which would cover up to $20,000 for a treatment cycle. After mentioning these measures related to women's health, Carney said he would protect these rights by 'always standing and defending' the Charter, while accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of 'committing to override your constitutional rights.' A reporter remarked to Carney that Poilievre has stated he would not use the notwithstanding clause in the Charter to go after abortion. Poilievre said on April 11 he would not remove access to abortion if his party formed government. 'I can guarantee you there will be no laws restricting abortion passed when I'm prime minister,' said Poilievre. 'For 20 years, the policy of the Conservative Party has been that there will be no restrictions brought in on a woman's right to choose.' Poilievre said last week he would use the notwithstanding clause of the Charter, section 33, to re-introduce a law allowing for mass murderers to serve consecutive prison sentences. The Supreme Court had deemed this Poilievre has yet to release a broad health plan, but he has previously
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Reproductive health advocates praise Liberal pledges but caution more details needed
Liberal Party pledges to make an access to abortion fund permanent, spend up to $20,000 for IVF treatment and invest in data collection on issues like menopause are welcomed initiatives, some women's health advocates say. But they also cautioned that the party needs to release more details, particularly on how such initiatives would be funded. While the IVF program did lay out an actual dollar amount, the party's platform does not detail how much it would invest in other reproductive health programs. "I'm excited about visible commitments to women's reproductive health, women's safety, gender," said Frédérique Chabot, executive director of Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, an organization that advocates for sexual and reproductive health issues in Canada and globally. "There's a lot of measures that will benefit people. And we'll see what it actually looks like if they form government." 'Not a lot of details yet': advocate Chabot, however, also acknowledged there still haven't been a lot of details about what kind of investments would be made. "Is this kind of a bit of lip service?" she said. "We're going to keep an eye on the fact that the words may be there, but there's not a lot of details yet." Over the weekend, the Liberal Party released its election platform which contained pledges to "protect women's rights and prosperity." Those included: A pledge to make permanent the Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund Program, which supports community-based organizations that improve access to abortion for underserved communities. A promise to establish a new in vitro fertilization (IVF) program that provides up to $20,000 for a single standard cycle of IVF treatment. A pledge to invest in research into postpartum maternal health. A pledge to to invest in increased collection of data, particularly in understudied areas of menopause, endometriosis, maternal mortality and morbidity, stillbirth and perinatal health. Chabot said she was pleased to hear that a Liberal government would make permanent the Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund, which to date has received temporary funding. This would permit the building of real, true infrastructure in Health Canada to have sexual and reproductive health care be an area of priority, she said. "That's good news. It doesn't say any kind of amount or to what degree it would be funded, how they would fund it. So, you know, we'll keep our eyes open," she said. The Liberal Party has promises to establish a new in vitro fertilization (IVF) program that provides up to $20,000 for a single standard cycle of IVF treatment. (CBC) Chabot said her organization is also excited about the pledge to invest in increased data collection, which she hopes includes the continued funding of the first-ever Canadian Sexual and Reproductive Health Survey, which collected data from October 2024 until February. She said other countries are already conducting similar studies to gather information about residents' health status around pregnancy, menopause, fertility and sexual and reproductive health. The last government funded the survey, but there was concern over whether it would continue, Chabot said. Without this data, Canada has been impeded in its ability to make good policy decisions about those issues, Chabot said. Dr. Gayle Robinson a professor of psychiatry and obstetrics/gynecology at the University of Toronto, said she welcomed the Liberal Party's focus on these programs but also said she's taking a wait-and-see approach to funding. WATCH | B.C. women face serious challenges accessing menopause care, study finds: "The trouble with these kinds of statements is I don't expect you're going to get details of everything that they want to do. I think what's important is to say this is an important area of research," she said. "It's been difficult to get research funding for any of these kinds of things. I think the question is, do they actually put their money where their mouth is and have money available." Concerns over lack of women and gender equality minister But Robinson was critical that the party made no mention of re-establishing the Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) cabinet position. That was eliminated when Liberal Leader Mark Carney was sworn in as prime minister, along with his slimmed-down cabinet. That department now reports to the minister of Canadian culture and identity. That move to eliminate the WAGE cabinet position was condemned by a number of women's health advocates, including Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights. Robinson said if Carney becomes prime minister and doesn't revive that post, it would be a "disaster for all women's health issues." She said that the WAGE cabinet position is a statement by the government that it is committed to these initiatives. "There has to be somebody who's really setting the agenda and setting the priorities and making sure that these things happen," she said. "If this potential government really believes in all of these things, then they need somebody to be in charge of that."
