uOttawa researcher plays key role in Lancet series that scrutinizes Canada’s leadership on health at home and abroad

While Canada’s health care legacy boasts a publicly-funded universal system and a strong influence on global health, disparities between its indigenous and non-indigenous populations still exist and the country’s contributions to overseas aid is at historic lows, says a new report released today by the Lancet, a prominent peer-reviewed general medical journal.

The Lancet’s first-ever Series on Canada, includes two papers:

1. “Canada’s universal health-care system: achieving its potential”; and
2. “Canada’s global health role: supporting equity and global citizenship as a middle power.”

These papers examine the country’s health care system and global health role as well as debate its leadership both at home and abroad. Both publications were authored by leading scholars from across Canada, and are being published at the start of the country’s 2018 Presidency of the G7.

Dr. Peter Tugwell, professor of Medicine, and Epidemiology & Public Health at the University of Ottawa, senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital, Co-Chair of the World Health Organisation Collaborative Centre at Bruyere Hospital Research Institute and Co-Chair of the Campbell and Cochrane Collaborations Equity Group, helped lead and is an author of the second paper, which examines Canada’s past and present role in global health.

“One aspect that is made clear in this series is Canada’s long standing involvement in global health affairs and our exceptional human capital exports into senior health positions internationally. That trend continues – with the next generation of Canadian health scholars committed to reducing global health-related inequities,” says Tugwell.  

“Unfortunately they have no clear career path in this country. One action I would like to see come out of this landmark Lancet Series on Canada is an expansion of training capacity here in Canada along with supporting career paths and two-way exchanges in partnership with appropriate developing country’s institutions.”

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