OTTAWA, April 21, 2021 – The Health Charities Coalition of Canada (HCCC) welcomes the federal government commitment to helping charities and non-profits with temporary supports announced in Federal Budget 2021.
“COVID-19 has drastically impacted people living with disease and their caregivers. As disruptions to the health care system began, health charities pivoted quickly to meet their emerging needs, all while experiencing significant reductions in revenues. This has greatly impacted health charities’ ability to provide critical services and fund life saving research programs. The recovery of Canada’s health charities can be bolstered by Federal government programs that are inclusive of the health charity sector” says Elisabeth Baugh, Chair of HCCC and CEO of Ovarian Cancer Canada.
The pandemic has created significant setbacks for our sector that will have a lasting impact on health research and support to people living with disease. Key programs such as the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and the introduction of the Community Services Recovery Fund can provide a means of addressing the temporary assistance that is needed by the sector and support the reopening and rebuilding of our communities. There still remain significant gaps and health charities look forward to working with Employment and Social Development Canada and all levels of government as we identify and implement new and enhanced supports that will assist with the recovery of our sector.
“As we emerge from this pandemic, we understand that many Canadians have experienced delays in diagnosis and treatment. While health charities provide ongoing support to Canadians living with disease, new and innovative approaches are still needed and we welcome investments in health research and innovation that support better patient outcomes” said Connie Côté, CEO of HCCC.
We are especially pleased to see announced in Budget 2021, important enhancements to the Employment Insurance Sickness Benefit and reforms to the federal disability programs which will provide much needed supports to Canadians living with disease.
As we conquer COVID and move to building an equitable, resilient and innovative country, we look forward to engaging with the Government and other stakeholders to implement programs and policies that will support improved health outcomes for Canadians.
About the Health Charities Coalition of Canada
Founded in 2000, the Health Charities Coalition of Canada is a member-based organization comprised of national health charities and patient groups who represent the voice of patients at all levels of the health continuum. Our mission is to strengthen the voice of Canadians, patients, and caregivers by promoting enhanced health policy and increased investment in health research. A full list of our members can be found at http://www.healthcharities.ca/membership/our-members.aspx
For more information:
Nkeonye Aniagu
Health Charities Coalition of Canada
613-809-1551