CANADA’S HEALTH CHARITIES AND THE IMPACT OF COVID-19

The Issue: Support to Maintain Services for People Living with Diseases is Urgent

HCCC and its members urgently need the federal government to partner with us to ensure that people living with diseases and their caregivers continue receiving the necessary support they need right now and into the future.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people living with disease and their caregivers in a significant way. Canadians are relying on health charities for advice on how to support patients during COVID-19 and we have had to rise to the challenge. During this time health charities continue to deliver on their core mandates to provide critical support services and conduct life saving research for Canadians while faced with a significant reduction in revenue as a result of COVID-19.

Illness and the need for social services and evidence-informed information doesn’t stop because of crisis. Canadian health charities are primarily concerned about the well-being of the people they serve, and their long-term ability to continue to support them. We need to protect the supports that those living with disease and their caregivers need and prevent further losses in vital health research.

The Solution:

We are calling on the Government of Canada to establish a $131 million funding program for health charities over two years to support Canadians living with diseases.

Did You Know?

  • Four out of five Canadians say health charities play an important or somewhat important role in Canada’s health care system
  • Seven in ten Canadians believe the decline of donations to health charities will have a negative or somewhat negative impact on the healthcare system
  • Nearly six in ten Canadians are concerned or somewhat concerned about the impact on themselves if health charities or the services they provide are not available because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Nearly two in three Canadians are concerned or somewhat concerned that vital health research will not be done if health charities do not have sufficient resources
  • Three in five Canadians support the federal government providing direct financial support that charities can continue to provide their services

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How You Can Help

HCCC is asking Canadians to voice their support for Canadian health charities, sharing personal stories about how important these organizations are to the social, physical and mental wellness of individuals and communities across the country. Some ways you can help include:

  1.  If you are a patient or caregiver who has been affected by reduced health charity services, please contact us to share your story.
  2. Follow us on social media and at the hashtag #healthcharitieshelp to share our stories to help create awareness about this important issue. You can also post your own stories using the hashtag #healthcharitieshelp