Health advocacy has never mattered more. The CMA continues to support the medical profession, advocate for health system changes and advance solutions.
Since the start of 2022:
- The CMA continued to shape the country’s pandemic response by calling on the federal government to support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines internationally, supporting public health measures, helping Canadians understand the importance of protecting themselves and participating in efforts to bolster vaccination rates. Building on this work, the CMA Foundation committed $1 million to UNICEF Canada to support access to vaccines in West and Central Africa.
- Through ongoing political advocacy, the CMA highlighted the broader health impacts of the pandemic — including the estimated $1.3 billion backlog in medical procedures — to ensure governments take the necessary actions to support the health workforce and create a health care system that works for all Canadians.
- With health care workers reporting escalating harassment, bullying and intimidation, the CMA played a vital role in getting federal legislation adopted to better protect them and advocated for enforcement across Canada.
- Initial findings from the CMA’s 2021 National Physician Health Survey shed light on the profound impacts the pandemic has had on physician health, including record-high rates of burnout. The CMA continued to expand wellness resources through the Physician Wellness Hub to support physicians and medical learners.
- Through the CMA’s Health Summit series, more than 2,000 physicians, patients, policy-makers, health professionals, administrators and members of the public came together to discuss rebuilding the health workforce and creating a sustainable health system for the future.
- With its ongoing commitment to reconciliation and to improving the health care experience for Indigenous peoples, the CMA continued to lend its voice to broaden understanding of the harm done (The Unforgotten), to co-create with a Guiding Circle and to welcome its first Indigenous president at its AGM (August 2022).
- Partnering with the Canadian Nurses Association, the CMA held a second emergency summit bringing together stakeholders to call for immediate and long-term actions to be taken to address Canada’s health workforce crisis.
- Together with the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the CMA issued updated recommendations for how to better incorporate virtual care services into Canada’s health care system.
- Recognizing the devastating health impacts of climate change, the CMA continued its work to support a healthier planet and is on track to meet its 2030 investment portfolio climate targets.