Public Awareness Campaign on Health-care
PREMIER'S OFFICE--Public Awareness Campaign on Health-care Funding
The premiers of all 13 provinces and territories today announced the launch of a national campaign to enhance Canadians' awareness about health-care challenges.
The campaign consists of print and television ads, as well as a centralized Web site. It begins today, Sept. 27, in newspapers and Sept. 29 on television.
Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm, chair of the Premiers' Council on Canadian Health Awareness, unveiled the campaign at a news conference in Halifax on behalf of all provincial and territorial premiers.
"As premiers, we are united in our resolve to ensure that the Canadian public understands the basic fact that the federal government is not contributing its fair share to health care. The creation of the Premiers' Council on Canadian Health Awareness and this campaign are unprecedented steps in the history of our country," said Premier Hamm.
"The fact that the federal government has systematically reduced its share of health-care funding from 50 per cent to 14 per cent is not acceptable," said the premier. "The ads sum it up -- as provinces and territories, we are not looking to spend less on health care, we're just looking for the federal government to restore its fair share through the Canada Health and Social Transfer."
At the same time as federal funding has eroded, an aging population, increasing costs for drugs, and increased demands for medical technology and for hospital and home care are putting unprecedented and growing pressures on health care.
"Provinces and territories are now funding 86 cents of every health-care dollar," Premier Hamm said. "That proportion is just not sustainable. The key to the sustainability of health care is fair funding by all governments. It is important for First Ministers to meet before the next federal budget so that we can decide together on the priority actions needed to ensure the long-term sustainability and quality of health care."
The aim of the Premiers' Council on Canadian Health Awareness is to improve Canadians' access to health information and enhance public awareness of the challenges and solutions for the future of health care in each jurisdiction.
For more information, visit the council's Web site at www.premiersforhealth.ca .