Blog 6: Canada

Welcome back to my SDG #6!

      Today I will be focusing on one of our neighbors, Canada! Canada is located northern north America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west and the Arctic Ocean on the north (CIA, 2018). They have a current population of about 37 million people with a life expectancy of 85 years for females and 80 years for males (CIA, 2018). Compared to the United States, I would say that they are in good standing which leads me to question how they are working towards accomplishing SDG 3. 

      Maternal mortality and children’s health is a topic within SDG 3 that I have always mentioned because in my opinion it says a lot about a country and its health system. The current maternal mortality rate in Canada is 7 deaths per 100,000 live births which is a lot lower compared to the United States 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births (CIA, 2018). Along with the topic of maternal mortality, neonatal mortality is also important to take a close look at. According to the International institute for Sustainable Development, the neonatal mortality is well below the target 3.2 threshold of 12 deaths per 100,000 live births (Temmer, 2018). In 2006, the Canadian average for neonatal and perinatal deaths was 5.5 per 100,000 live births (Temmer, 2018). I have to say I was impressed with the statistics that Canada has because it express progress and what they are doing is working for their people. 

      Non-communicable diseases are a growing epidemic and Canada is trying to find ways to better the situation. “Chronic diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases, and mental illness account for the highest causes of preventable death in Canada,” (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2012). HIV mortality has dropped in Canada and remain below 1.5 deaths per 100,000 (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2012). After accidents, suicide is the second largest cause of deaths in Canadians aged 15-34 (Temmer, 2018). Suicide and self-inflicted injury mortality rates for Canada have increased 66.7 percent (Temmer, 2018). Not only is suicide an issue in Canada, but substance abuse as well. These topics have been the first I have identified in a country to be a major health issue. The Public Health Agency of Canadas’s World Health Organization Collaborating Centre are working on chronic non-communicable disease policy works nationally and internationally. This is possible through collaborative initiatives, partnership frameworks, and grants to support different types of research (CIHI, 2019). 

      Finally, I can mention something that I knew was going to be a positive subject and that is their health system. Canadians have access to universal health care and this expresses how cities play an important role in ensuring equal access to health services and promoting health. In 2018, the total health expenditure in Canada reached about $253.5 billion and overall GDP of about 11.3 % (CIHI,2019). What is your opinion on universal health care? There are so many people in the world who do not have access to health care and cannot obtain the resources they need to get better.  In conclusion, progress on SDG 3 has been significant in Canada and considered having reached their target. At the end of the day, we need to look  at the big picture and see what is working for others countries so we can adapt those same techniques to better out nations. 

References

Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). (2019, March 01). Health spending. Retrieved from https://www.cihi.ca/en/health-spending

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). (2018). The World Factbook: Canada. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html

Public Health Agency of Canada. (2012, September 07). Working Together Globally: Canada's World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre on Chronic Noncommunicable Disease Policy. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/corporate/mandate/about-agency/working-together-globally-canada-world-health-organization-collaborating-centre-chronic-noncommunicable-disease-policy.html

Temmer, Jennifer. (2017). Tracking the SDGs In Canadian Cities:S DG3. International Institure for Sustainable Development. [PDF]. Retrieved from https://www.iisd.org/sites/default/files/publications/tracking-sdgs-canadian-cities-sdg-3.pdf