B.C. report details ‘tragedy’ of maternal, infant deaths linked to toxic drugs – CTV
April 16, 2026
Overdose has become the leading cause of maternal death in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, according to a new report that raises the alarm about the “serious and preventable harms” experienced by some of B.C.’s most vulnerable mothers.
The health authority published “Perinatal Health: A Review of Serious Harms” this week, as the province marks 10 years since the toxic drug crisis was declared a public health emergency.
Dr. Patricia Daly, chief medical health officer for Vancouver Coastal Health, told CTV News the report analyzed more than a decade of perinatal data on illicit drug use and pregnancy to come to its distressing conclusion.
“We’ve spent a lot of resources and effort in Canada to ensure that pregnancy and childbirth are healthy, safe. Every time a woman dies, an infant dies, we should consider that a tragedy,” she said.
