Canada gets low marks for opioid deaths, access to health care in OECD report – CBC

Higher marks for life expectancy, smoking and preventable deaths

Nov 07, 2023

Canada does better than average on three-quarters of health status indicators, including life expectancy and preventable deaths from lung cancer, heart attacks and strokes, according to a new report comparing 38 high-income countries.

But it performs comparatively worse on factors including opioid deaths and access to care, according to the report released Tuesday by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

“Amid the increasing demand for services as a result of the combined effect of population aging and unhealthy lifestyles, health systems need to facilitate better and timelier access to affordable health care, while addressing the lingering after-effects of COVID-19 on mental and physical health,” said OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/oecd-canada-health-care-1.7021450