U.S. Tariffs Threaten Health Care, Pharmacare Expansion & Vision Restoration Surgery

📅 Sunday, March 2, 2025
Your trusted source for Canada’s top health stories—delivered every Sunday.

🏥 This Week’s Top Health Stories

1️⃣ Military Now Accepting Recruits with Asthma, ADHD, and Other Conditions

📍 By Ashley Burke – February 23, 2025

• New Recruitment Policy – The Canadian Armed Forces will now consider applicants with conditions like ADHD, anxiety, and asthma, rather than automatically disqualifying them.

• Addressing Staffing Shortages – With over 13,600 vacancies, the military is revising medical enrollment standards to boost recruitment and reach full strength by 2029.

🔗 Read More on CBC News

2️⃣ Canada Signs Pharmacare Agreement with Manitoba

📍 By Health Canada – February 27, 2025

• $267 Million Investment – The federal government is funding universal coverage for contraceptives, diabetes medications, and rare disease treatments in Manitoba.

• Expanding Access – Nearly 350,000 residents will receive reproductive health coverage, and over 149,000 Manitobans with diabetes will have access to essential medications at little to no cost.

🔗 Read More on Health Canada

3️⃣ Vancouver Surgeon Uses Patient’s Tooth to Restore Vision

📍 By Lori Culbert – February 24, 2025

• Groundbreaking Procedure – A Vancouver surgeon is performing Canada’s first tooth-in-eye surgery, a rare operation that restores vision using a patient’s own tooth.

• Hope for the Blind – The patient, blind for a decade, will have a lens implanted into her extracted tooth, which will later be sewn into her eye—potentially allowing her to see again.

🔗 Read More on Vancouver Sun

4️⃣ Canada Advances Breast Cancer Screening Research

📍 By Public Health Agency of Canada – February 26, 2025

• Expanding Screening Accessibility – The federal government is working to improve breast cancer screening programs, especially for underserved populations, through collaborative research and policy updates.

• Data-Driven Approach – New analyses of national cancer trends will help tailor screening programs based on factors like location, age, and ethnicity to enhance early detection efforts.

🔗 Read More on Public Health Agency of Canada

5️⃣ U.S. Tariffs Could Disrupt Canada’s Health Care Supply Chain

📍 By The Walrus – February 2025

• Medical Supply Risks – New U.S. tariffs could impact access to critical health care equipment, with 40% of Canada’s imported medical devices coming from the U.S.

• Rising Costs & Shortages – Hospitals and pharmacies may face higher prices and supply disruptions for pacemakers, insulin pumps, and essential medications, prompting industry-wide concerns.

🔗 Read More on The Walrus

6️⃣ Why Don’t All Health Care Providers Have Your Full Health History?

📍 By Canadian Medical Association

• Fragmented Systems – Canada lacks a national platform for electronic health records, leaving hospitals, clinics, and doctors' offices to use different, often incompatible systems.

• Privacy & Legal Barriers – Varying provincial privacy laws and confidentiality rules make it difficult to share patient records seamlessly across providers and regions.

🔗 Read More on Healthcare For Real

7️⃣ Urgent Youth Mental Health Crisis: Lessons for Canada

📍 By McGill University Researchers – March 2, 2025

• Growing Demand for Support – Youth mental health has declined since 2015, with 1.25 million young Canadians needing services, yet many struggle to access care.

• Systemic Solutions Needed – Experts call for increased funding, integrated youth services, and policies that address social determinants like climate change, economic instability, and colonial impacts.

🔗 Read More on The Conversation

👋 That’s a Wrap!

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Until next Sunday,
— The Healthy Canada Weekly Team 🚀