Editorial
Rising Covid-19 Cases and Rising Vaccinations - Where is the Gap and What is the Solution?
Despite having nearly 77% fully vaccinated population and 83% of people over the age of 5 with at least one dose, Canada surpassed 40,000 new COVID-19 infections in a single day as of December 31 2021 [1,2]. The continuation of a streak of rapid infection growth is taking place amid tighter public health restrictions by the federal government and provinces/territories..
A Call to Medical School Admissions Committees to Address the Ethical Implications of Voluntourism
The years of 2020 and 2021 were marked by closed borders and cancelled summer travel. Amongst the many trips that were cancelled were volunteer holidays, a common activity for eager post-secondary students applying to competitive graduate programs, especially pre-medical students. Voluntourism, the act of volunteering abroad whilst on vacation, had a growing market before the pandemic at an estimated global value of CAD $2.6 billion a year [1]…
The Year of the Nurse and Midwife in a COVID-19 Pandemic: Reflections of a Nurse
The beginning of 2020 carried great expectations for nurses and midwives across the globe. In May 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) nominated the year 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife (YONM)…
Op-Ed: Student Preparedness
We’ve all been there… we’re university students who are expected to be the “experts” at the dinner table. Over the past few months, I’ve sat down with my parents or roommates for a meal and been asked, “So what do you know about the Coronavirus? Have any of your professors talked about it? How concerned should I be?”
Contain, Curb, and Cure: How can we stop the coronavirus and other future pandemics?
The entire world is under lockdown. Thousands of people are dying. The global economy has been dramatically halted. The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 is a major challenge that is affecting all countries, and thus requires a coordinated and scientifically informed approach.
Combating Deforestation in Freetown, Sierra Leone
Growing up near the foot of the hills of Freetown, Sierra Leone in the mid-1990s, life was a pleasant mix of childhood bliss and bountiful surprises from family and neighbours…
Mending the Broken Hoop: Indigenous Health and the Dis-ease of Disconnection
In 2015, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) identified significant gaps in health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities…
In Freefall: Scarcity in Venezuela
The lines begin to stretch around the block well before 5:00 each morning. People wait for hours, hoping that there will be something left by the time they reach the door. They’re waiting for a loaf of bread.
Screening for Food Insecurity in Canadians
Household food insecurity is a serious public health problem in Canada. In addition to being associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes, the stress endured by children from food-insecure households predisposes them to a cascade of disadvantages…
A Generation Condemned: The Health Implications of Brazil’s PEC 55 Reforms
It has become cliché to say that 2016 was a bad year. As far as countries go, however, one of the hardest hit by 2016 has to have been Brazil.
Student Leaders’ Letter on Divestment from Fossil Fuels
On January 21, UofT350 released an open letter to University of Toronto President Meric Gertler calling for fossil fuel divestment. This was signed by multiple student groups, including Juxtaposition.
Deconstructing the “Tropical” in Neglected Diseases
The WHO-approved term “Neglected Tropical Diseases,” is ubiquitous in the global health world, often shortened to its requisite public health abbreviation “NTDs”…
Combating Obesity
Society’s ideal body shape and size has shifted tremendously over the centuries. Throughout human history, the ideal body was more ample and stout than today’s athletic and slim ideal…
Climate Change: Our Obligations for Global Health
There is significant and increasing evidence that climate change has serious effects on health that will only exacerbate with time. The spread of vectors, such as mosquitoes and deer ticks, increases the occurrence of vector-borne diseases. More frequent extreme weather events cause accidents and injuries that tax our healthcare systems…