Losing the census will impact Canadian's health

Leaders in Canada's health research field are warning that the decision by the Federal Government to cancel mandatory long form census will hurt Canadian's health.

Today across Canada Medical Officers of Health, nurses, epidemiologists, community health centres, hospitals and faculties of medicine spoke out at hospitals and health centers about the impact that losing the census will have on research, health care and Canadians. “As a scientist who focuses on why people become sick and what must be done to improve health across all of Ontario and Canada, I – like many researchers – need information on the entire population, and this information only comes from the long-form census,” said Dr. John McLaughlin (Vice President, Population Studies and Surveillance, Cancer Care Ontario) in a press release. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Dr. Patti Groome, (Canada Research Chair in Cancer Care Evaluation, Department of Oncology at Queen’s University) stated that “Epidemiologists and other population researchers know that the groups who will be less likely to respond to the survey are those whose information we need most – those from disadvantage groups…. much of the work done in the area of social determinants of health is inter-country. We will no longer be able to participate in such comparisons as a country because the voluntary (and therefore non-representative) National Health Survey will not be accepted by the international research community as providing valid information.” Many Canadians are unaware of the future impacts that will take place if the census is not reinstated. The information collected helps researchers and health care planners to track what Canadians need. “The development of sound evidence –informed public policy for health and social services is totally dependent on the availability of valid up to date information. One of those sources which provide unique information is the long form census. The methods used to gather this data have been perfected by Statistics Canada over many years and are respected throughout the world. As a family doctor and health services researcher I use this data in some form every day. The loss of this reliable source of information will be a severe blow to our ability to plan the health services that Canadians have come to value,” said Alan Katz (Research Director, Department of Family Medicine, University of Manitoba). Those in the health care industry are urging the government to alleviate a possible health care risk by not tossing out the census. A petition has been drawn up at [url=http:// http://www.savethecensus.ca/savethecensus.ca/Home.html t=_blank]SaveTheCensus.ca to tell Prime Minister Stephen Harper that Canadians want to keep the census. There is an ongoing media and public interest that shows Canadians have concerns about losing the census. “As people realize that this decision will hamper research into treatments for diseases like cancer and diabetes, will hurt the capacity of churches to do their charitable work, and means that jobs and investment may not come to their communities, the public outcry against it is growing stronger” said Randy Hatfield, Executive Director of the Human Development Council in Saint John, New Brunswick. On September 20 Parliament will resume. It is hoped that during the new session law makers will make the census a priority.