OTTAWA,
ON, May 6, 2024 /CNW/ - Pan-Canadian
children's health advocate Children's Healthcare Canada is calling
on the federal government to show political will to solve the
crises plaguing children's healthcare and declare children's health
and well-being a national priority.
A new report by the Association titled Beyond Bandaids:
Delivering Healthcare Fit for Kids calls on the federal
government to establish an unprecedented National Children's
Strategy and designate a Chief Child Health Officer. This strategy
would set targets and timelines to measurably improve kids' health,
a hallmark of other peer countries that report consistently higher
children's health outcomes.
"Health outcomes for children in Canada are worsening, year over year. We have
a moral and financial imperative to take action to reverse this
trend, for our kids, and for our collective future. This is our
moment." said Emily Gruenwoldt, President & CEO of
Children's Healthcare Canada.
Cracks in healthcare systems across the country are undermining
the potential of Canada's youngest
generations and the future of this country. Our siloed, patchwork
approach to tackling increasingly complex health and social needs
is failing children, youth, and their families.
"We envision a future where children's healthcare systems are
accessible, equitable, connected and purpose-built to meet the
needs of children, youth and their families, and the highly
specialized workforce that serves them." said Ms. Gruenwoldt,
"Optimizing healthcare systems for children and youth will require
unprecedented collaboration between federal, provincial,
territorial governments, healthcare delivery organizations and
children's healthcare advocates. We all have a role to play."
Children's Healthcare Canada further recommends that the federal
government create dedicated and protected funding envelopes for
provinces and territories to bolster capacity in children's health
systems across the continuum of care, including research. This
fund would be modelled on the bilateral Aging with
Dignity agreements Ottawa
signed in 2024 with British
Columbia and Saskatchewan.
By mobilizing strategic partnerships between all levels of
government, advocacy, and the health sector and creating leadership
for change, Canada can move beyond
bandaid solutions to create healthcare systems fit for kids.
SOURCE Children's Healthcare Canada