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This year, 2025, is certain to be another eventful year for health, with a vast array of medical stories to unravel. The fast spread of avian flu, an escalating toxic drug crisis, and the ballooning use of medications like Ozempic are on the line. We are also set to delve into various health-care subjects, from the struggles of five million Canadian adults finding a steadfast health-care provider to the hurdles of immunizing children and adults against preventable illnesses.
Avian Flu Anxiety: The H5N1 in North America's Birds
At the forefront, we're closely monitoring the pandemic potential of the H5N1 bird flu strain this year which has been infecting dairy cattle and decimating poultry across the U.S. and Canada. Laboratory professionals in Scotland have been examining dead birds for bird flu, following a swan found with H5N1 in a nearby village. This flu strain has appeared in Arctic seals in Nunavut, infecting dozens of people with mild disease. Observing this, pandemic scientists are particularly focused on "reassortment events," that happen when various flu virus strains from different animal species recombine, becoming a novel version humans have zero immunity against.
Confronting the Toxic Drug Menace
In Canada's bleak drug crisis saga, faint hope emerged in 2024 as the opioid death statistics showed a dip from the previous year, although it still meant an average of 21 deaths per day nationwide. This trend calls for questions about the reasons why it’s taking place and whether it will persist in 2025. In relation to a probable federal election, a nationwide debate will concern the best approach to handle substance addiction, including assessing provincial measures like Ontario's shutdown of supervised consumption sites, B.C.'s push to recriminalize public drug use, and Alberta's bid to compel people with addiction into treatment.
Ozempic: An Expanding Treatment Territory
The median population of Canadians using GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs, including Ozempic, continues to soar for diabetes and weight loss. Drug manufacturers aim to broaden their treatments' uses beyond these categories. They'll be launching a large clinical examination on the use of GLP-1 agonists in battling alcohol abuse, nicotine use, drug addiction, and anti-inflammatory conditions in 2025. However, the possible side effects of these drugs, such as muscle loss, nausea, and serious conditions like pancreatitis remain a concern.
Tackling the Lingering Effects of Long COVID
Long COVID, defined as enduring symptoms (for three months or more after infection) unexplained by any other conditions, will be the focus in 2025. According to a Statistics Canada survey done in 2023, roughly seven per cent of the adult Canadian population live with long COVID symptoms. Common symptoms include inescapable fatigue, trouble concentrating, shortness of breath and exacerbating symptoms resulting from exertion.
Immunization Efforts: The Uphill Climb Continues
On the immunization front, targets for vaccination will be adjusted for 2025, based on the country’s progress in vaccinating people against preventable diseases and the rates of these diseases in Canada. One major challenge is the lack of a federal vaccine registry, which makes it hard to get a comprehensive view of the vaccination coverage in Canada. Standardized data, like what was used during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, may help address this issue.
The Quest for Improved Health Care through Federal-Provincial Agreements
Billions of additional health-care dollars have started flowing from the federal government to the provinces focusing on four key priorities: expanding access to primary health care, boosting the health workforce and cutting down surgical and diagnostic backlogs, improving mental health and addiction services accessibility, and increasing patient and provider digital access to health records. The effect of this funding on the provided health care will be evaluated throughout 2025.
Notably, one Canadian adult in six (approximately 5.4 million people) does not currently have access to a regular health-care provider, such as a family doctor or nurse practitioner. Even those who do often face difficulties quickly scheduling appointments, particularly during evenings and weekends.
Avian Flu Anxiety: The H5N1 in North America's Birds
At the forefront, we're closely monitoring the pandemic potential of the H5N1 bird flu strain this year which has been infecting dairy cattle and decimating poultry across the U.S. and Canada. Laboratory professionals in Scotland have been examining dead birds for bird flu, following a swan found with H5N1 in a nearby village. This flu strain has appeared in Arctic seals in Nunavut, infecting dozens of people with mild disease. Observing this, pandemic scientists are particularly focused on "reassortment events," that happen when various flu virus strains from different animal species recombine, becoming a novel version humans have zero immunity against.
Confronting the Toxic Drug Menace
In Canada's bleak drug crisis saga, faint hope emerged in 2024 as the opioid death statistics showed a dip from the previous year, although it still meant an average of 21 deaths per day nationwide. This trend calls for questions about the reasons why it’s taking place and whether it will persist in 2025. In relation to a probable federal election, a nationwide debate will concern the best approach to handle substance addiction, including assessing provincial measures like Ontario's shutdown of supervised consumption sites, B.C.'s push to recriminalize public drug use, and Alberta's bid to compel people with addiction into treatment.
Ozempic: An Expanding Treatment Territory
The median population of Canadians using GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs, including Ozempic, continues to soar for diabetes and weight loss. Drug manufacturers aim to broaden their treatments' uses beyond these categories. They'll be launching a large clinical examination on the use of GLP-1 agonists in battling alcohol abuse, nicotine use, drug addiction, and anti-inflammatory conditions in 2025. However, the possible side effects of these drugs, such as muscle loss, nausea, and serious conditions like pancreatitis remain a concern.
Tackling the Lingering Effects of Long COVID
Long COVID, defined as enduring symptoms (for three months or more after infection) unexplained by any other conditions, will be the focus in 2025. According to a Statistics Canada survey done in 2023, roughly seven per cent of the adult Canadian population live with long COVID symptoms. Common symptoms include inescapable fatigue, trouble concentrating, shortness of breath and exacerbating symptoms resulting from exertion.
Immunization Efforts: The Uphill Climb Continues
On the immunization front, targets for vaccination will be adjusted for 2025, based on the country’s progress in vaccinating people against preventable diseases and the rates of these diseases in Canada. One major challenge is the lack of a federal vaccine registry, which makes it hard to get a comprehensive view of the vaccination coverage in Canada. Standardized data, like what was used during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, may help address this issue.
The Quest for Improved Health Care through Federal-Provincial Agreements
Billions of additional health-care dollars have started flowing from the federal government to the provinces focusing on four key priorities: expanding access to primary health care, boosting the health workforce and cutting down surgical and diagnostic backlogs, improving mental health and addiction services accessibility, and increasing patient and provider digital access to health records. The effect of this funding on the provided health care will be evaluated throughout 2025.
Notably, one Canadian adult in six (approximately 5.4 million people) does not currently have access to a regular health-care provider, such as a family doctor or nurse practitioner. Even those who do often face difficulties quickly scheduling appointments, particularly during evenings and weekends.
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