CBC Health News

As astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams acclimatize to Earth, the effects of being stranded in space for nine months, and their recovery, will give scientists a chance to improve preparations for long distance flights.

CBC News has obtained documents that lay out extensive government influence over AHS contracts with private surgery clinics and more.

As concerns about measles grow, and case counts tick up, health-care workers are preparing for a surge and pleading with Albertans to ensure they're fully vaccinated.

Scientists are raising the alarm over low measles vaccination rates in parts of B.C. as concern grows over outbreaks in Ontario and Texas.

Despite the recent arrival of a new family doctor, health care on the Baie Verte Peninsula relies heavily on virtual care. Residents are frustrated and anxious.

Toronto Public Health says more patients of a gynecologist linked to potential exposure to blood-borne infections due to improper tool cleaning can now get tested — even if they didn't receive a formal letter from the health agency.

The U.S. has reported the first outbreak of the deadly H7N9 bird flu on a poultry farm since 2017, as the country continues to grapple with another strain that has infected humans and caused egg prices to hit record highs.

Scientists say they hope testing wastewater for pathogens, which gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic in B.C., continues and helps better inform the public of emerging threats going forward.

Confirmed cases of measles in the Edmonton region have public health officials issuing a warning about the potential risk of exposure. As of Tuesday, a total of 13 cases have been confirmed in the province, including two in the Edmonton zone.

A little over five years ago, a sense of panic was spreading within British Columbia's public health system as it tracked the spread of a new virus: what would later be known as COVID-19. Now, the BCCDC is reflecting on the lessons it learned and remaining vigilant to be prepared for any future virus outbreak.

Experts say the case of a Nova Scotia woman who had to track down her cancer diagnosis underscores that the province still has work to do to ensure better co-ordination within the health-care system, with the well-being of the patients it serves at stake.

Documents obtained by CBC News show that a private medical testing company contracted by the Alberta government became insolvent and requested an additional $70 million in funding, which was denied. DynaLife's owners soon asked the province to buy the company, which it ultimately did at a cost of almost $100 million.

For decades, millions of men around the world have turned to a drug — finasteride, or Propecia, its most well-known brand name — to slow hair loss. But an increasing number of experts are sounding the alarm that this medication can cause rare but serious side-effects, which can persist after stopping treatment.

Health experts say that decades of research support taking creatine to increase musculoskeletal strength and performance. More recent research suggests creatine supplements might have cognitive benefits, too. Here’s what you need to know about the benefits, risks and how to use creatine safely.

More than a dozen people attended a demonstration at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday to ask the government for more funding and treatment for those dealing with long COVID.

Confirmed cases of measles in Airdrie and Fort Vermilion come as an outbreak is currently seen in Ontario, and after vaccination rates in Alberta have declined.

Five years ago Saturday, Nova Scotia announced its first COVID-19 cases. Former premier Stephen McNeil and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang reflect on how the province responded to the pandemic, and what they might have done differently.

While a national organization seeks to track cases of forced sterilization of Indigenous peoples across Canada, Inuit women in the North say the practice hasn't ended. Three women shared their stories with us.

Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, its effects live on and continue to have an impact on the health of Canadians. Here's a look back at some of them, including the effectiveness of emergency measures, long-term care deaths, the increasing distrust in public health, mRNA vaccine development and how we're preparing for the next pandemic.

It may seem counterintuitive, but hospital emergency rooms can be hazardous to the health of elderly patients. The chaotic environment can cause delirium and deconditioning to set in fast, and some patients never leave the hospital again. An innovative team at St. Mary's Hospital in Montreal is helping to prevent that from happening.