Catching up today on some stories you might’ve missed. Here's a quick look at what stood out.
Things are getting backed up at Health Canada, with the backlog for generic drug applications doubling over the past year.
The Highlights:
→ There was a sharp increase in the number of generic drug submissions.
→ The backlog of submissions stood at 250 in June, up from 117 last September.
→ Canadian patients are waiting longer to access cheaper pharmaceuticals.
→ Health Canada received 1,052 submissions in 2025-26, a 55-per-cent increase compared with the previous five-year average.
We're one step closer to an Ebola vaccine after Health Canada authorized Moderna to move forward with an mRNA clinical trial.
The Highlights:
→ Canada is the second country to greenlight a Phase I clinical trial for a vaccine targeting the Ebola strain behind the outbreak in Congo.
→ There is currently no licensed vaccine or treatment for this strain.
→ There have been no cases of Ebola disease in Canada.
→ WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern back in May.
Canada's blood shortage has improved over the past couple weeks, but Canadians are still being urged to roll up their sleeves.
The Highlights:
→ Canadian Blood Services first flagged a 20 per cent drop in blood supply back in July.
→ Since then, more donors have stepped up, with communities rallying across the country.
→ Despite these efforts, supply remains low for several blood types.
→ Blood has a shelf life of about six weeks, or 42 days.
AI is playing a bigger role in healthcare. Now, it can be used to build viruses that kill harmful bacteria.
The Highlights:
→ Bacteriophage is the first virus to be designed by AI.
→ Researchers used a generative AI model called EVO 2 to build it.
→ The virus hijacks bacteria to make more of itself, much like human viruses hijack our cells.
→ Scientists hope bacteriophages can function as new antibiotics, battling bacteria like E. coli.
More youth are texting for overnight mental health help — with Kids Help Phone reporting a 24 per cent increase.
The Highlights:
→ Kids Help Phone is a free, 24-hour national mental health support service for children and youth.
→ The queues can get so long that responders cover their screens with sticky notes to focus on the person they're helping and not the growing number waiting.
→ Topics like depression, anxiety, social acceptance and relationship stressors have been consistent.
Measles cases are rising in Canada too — with half as many confirmed cases as the U.S., despite having one-tenth the population.
The Highlights:
→ 47,459 measles cases have been confirmed across the Americas. This is three times higher than last year.
→ Canada has confirmed 1,107 cases.
→ North and South America have the highest number of confirmed cases in more than two decades.
→ There have been 186,000 measles cases worldwide since July — up 12 per cent from last year.
Pulse Check™
What else we're reading:
- Opinion: Lack of innovation isn’t Canada’s problem—it’s the lack of adoption 🔒
- Trump redoubles effort to shrink recommended vaccines ahead of midterm elections
- Targeting childhood cancer with new genomics-led programme
- Opinion: Health-data sharing across provinces is the cornerstone of the government’s new AI strategy, but will our privacy really be protected? 🔒
- Delirium is often missed by health providers. Could an AI risk predictor help?
Canada Healthwatch
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