A report released Oct. 27 found Canada's life expectancy had largely recovered after COVID-19, while years in good health fell, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said in an Oct. 28 statement.
PHAC identified seven areas, including measles and wildfires, mental health, years in good health, toxic drug harms, cancer and sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections. Its findings show that public health progress can reverse and new problems can emerge, the statement said.
Cancer trends diverged: diagnoses and deaths overall declined, but new cases rose for some cancer types, the statement said. Those increases warrant continued monitoring.
Health gaps persist among population groups, PHAC said. It linked them to income and housing, as well as systemic racism and colonialism, and called for communities, sectors and systems to work together on shared causes.
The report will inform the chief public health officer's priorities, PHAC said. These include supporting young people's health, strengthening prevention and preparedness for public health challenges, and building knowledge, trust and leadership. Equity and reconciliation are to guide all three areas.
PHAC's Health of People in Canada dashboard complements the report with data and tools to track population health through more than 50 indicators.
