Canada Faces Crisis of Communicable Diseases
Misinformation and strained health systems create perfect storm.
Canada is grappling with a growing crisis of communicable diseases, exacerbated by a surge in misinformation that threatens the stability of its health systems. Experts call for immediate action to strengthen public health infrastructure.
Infectious Disease Threats on the Rise
A recent editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal warns that North America is facing a growing crisis of communicable diseases. This situation is made worse by the weakening of public health and research infrastructure in the United States, according to **Dr. Shannon Charlebois**, medical editor, Cmaj, and coauthor **Dr. Jasmine Pawa** from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.
“A crisis of communicable diseases is unfolding in North America, just as Canada’s health systems’ responses are being hampered by the dismantling of public health and research infrastructure in the United States,”
they wrote.
**Drs. Charlebois** and **Pawa** highlight how coordinated attacks on U.S. health institutions have severely limited their ability to gather, analyze, and share crucial public health data, just as new and existing communicable diseases are spreading across the continent, including into Canada.
Impact of U.S. Health System Changes
Cuts to programs that track infectious diseases, such as avian flu, and the dismissal of specialized staff capable of rapidly developing reliable tests, are expected to have a spillover effect on Canada. Canada has historically relied on the U.S. for disease surveillance and public health preparedness.
The Public Health Agency of Canada reported a 130% increase in reported cases of mpox in the first week of June 2024 compared to the previous year, highlighting the increasing threat of communicable diseases (canada.ca).
Strengthening Canada’s Defenses
The time is now for Canada to heed long-standing calls to bolster health surveillance systems, improve interoperability and data exchange between electronic medical records and health systems, and enhance the documentation and reporting of vaccine coverage rates. The public should be made aware of the threats from various infectious diseases to protect themselves.
“[P]eople living in Canada are vulnerable to a cross-border bleed of not only microorganisms, but also of attitudes, health misinformation, and exposure to biased US media,”
wrote **Drs. Charlebois** and **Pawa**.
While Canada cannot control the situation in the U.S., it can strengthen its national capacity to manage communicable diseases. Optimizing data collection and interprovincial sharing of information are crucial steps.
