Restoring community dialogue and resilience: The next COVID-19 emergency

This is a February 9 article by Mélissa Généreux, Associate Professor, Faculty of medicine and health sciences, Université de Sherbrooke; Gabriel Blouin-Genest, Associate professor, School of applied politics, Scientific codirector, CIDIS (Centre interdisciplinaire de développement international en santé), Université de Sherbrooke; and Mathieu Roy, Professeur associé, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke.

Canada isn’t responding with foresight when it comes to COVID-19

Global problems require global solutions. With COVID-19, however, we’re seeing that our governance mechanisms don’t drive global solutions even when our lives depend on it. In the current global landscape, the virus outsmarted us. Global vaccine roll-out has been inequitable: less than three per cent of people in low-income countries have been vaccinated as the richest countries hoard vaccines, and refuse to support waivers on COVID-19 vaccine patent rights or to keep pharmaceutical companies from bullying middle- and lower-income countries. This is an article by Gloria Novovic.

South African envoy calls on Canada to support waiver on COVID-19 vaccines

The following is a Nov. 30, 2021 article from Mike Blanchfield and Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press. If we don’t want to see more variants such as Omicron, Canada and other rich countries need to address vaccine inequity in the world. In May 2021 RNAO issued an action alert calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ensure global access.

Rich countries only shared 14% of COVID-19 vaccine doses promised to poorer nations

The rate of vaccination in the poorest countries remains dismal, and rich countries such as Canada continue to fail in their promises to help. The following is an October 22 CBC Radio article. The original article can be found here. It was written by Mehek Mazhar. Interview with Brittany Lambert produced by Katie Geleff.

The spring/summer issue of RNJ is here

A Q&A with Former Associate Chief Justice Frank Marrocco, a recap of RNAO’s 96th Annual General Meeting, the impact of being an RNAO member by President Morgan Hoffarth, our CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun's reflections on the evolution of our profession during COVID-19, and a profile on Aaliyah Hoo Kim-Baker, an RN who’s bringing a voice to marginalized populations. These are only a few of the many captivating stories in the latest issue of RNJ.

Keeping schools open and safe – learning from Spain’s exceptional experience

Spain has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic and is experiencing a fifth wave of COVID-19. The opening of the new school year in September 2021 arrives in Spain, however, with more confidence than in many other countries, including Canada. This confidence arises from their positive experience during the past year. Substantial parts of this article are adapted from an August 4, 2021 article in The Conversation by Fernando Trujillo Sáez; Jonatan Castaño Muñoz; Riina Vuorikari, and Romina Cachia, entitled Portrait of the school experience in Spain during more than a year of pandemic (in Spanish).

MSF: Following full FDA approval, Pfizer-BioNTech must share COVID-19 vaccine technology to boost global supply

Earlier this week the Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the US. The following is a media release from Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) addressing the COVID-19 crisis in Africa and the devastating lack of vaccines.