Latest news with #UniversityOfToronto
CTV News
2 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
What you need to know about Ontario's summer health risks
A man kayaks in Lake Ontario on a warm sunny day in Toronto on Friday, August 19, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette As Ontario enters peak summer season, infectious disease experts are warning that some viruses — from respiratory bugs to mosquito-borne illnesses — thrive in the heat. While many people may consider winter to be the season when they are most at risk of catching a virus and becoming ill, experts who spoke to CTV News Toronto said that there are many infections that actually peak in the summer. Dr. David Fisman, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health, said that respiratory infections like rhinovirus, enterovirus and para-influenza are all more common in the summer months and are capable of causing mild illness. He also said that other more serious health threats, like measles, can 'come back' when people make a decision to skip vaccination. Ontario reported fewer new measles cases this past week; 33 compared to 96 the week before, officials say the outbreak now stands at 2,212 cases since October. 'If we were having this conversation 100 years ago, we would be talking in a time when in Toronto, summertime was the high mortality season, and most of that mortality was from infectious diseases,' Fisman said, emphasizing that deaths have gone down thanks to smart public health measures. Does climate change play a role? Mosquitoes and ticks are another concern as climate change expands their reach across Canada. Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist at Toronto General Hospital, said Lyme disease is already well established in many parts of Canada. Why Lyme disease is on the rise Dr. Isaac Bogoch explains why Lyme disease is on the rise. 'We do see a fair bit of Lyme in Canada. In 2024 there were roughly 5,000 cases that were identified, but that's likely a gross underestimate. We're probably not detecting the majority of cases. So people should be aware that Lyme is out there,' he said. 'It's very easy to prevent Lyme infections… people can just be mindful where ticks live, typically in tall grass or in forested areas, you can wear insect repellent to reduce the risk of a tick bite, and it's certainly helpful to do tick checks.' To check if ticks or reported Lyme disease has been reported in your area, the Public Health Agency of Canada has created a free online portal where residents can enter their postal code or the first three letters of their city. Travelling this summer? Bogoch also warned that international travellers should prepare for serious infections not found in Canada. 'Mosquito avoidance is key with insect repellent,' he said. 'For infections like malaria, many people should be taking tablets to prevent this infection. It can be very severe and even deadly, and it's important that people are aware that malaria is out there.' 'It's a really good idea to get professional travel advice,' he added. 'There might be infections in other parts of the world that we just don't see in Canada, and these are largely preventable.' Malaria Malaria death rates have been in steady decline since 2000 but rose in 2016 as progress towards eliminating the mosquito-borne preventable disease stalled. (Ales_Utovko / Fisman echoed those warnings, noting that hotter climates accelerate mosquito activity. 'Mosquitoes bite more when it's hotter, their biting rate increases and when you have diseases like dengue or yellow fever or chikungunya… that all gets speeded up and outbreaks can happen,' he said. Hotter weather 'can increase' foodborne illnesses While some people associate summer illness with food poisoning or stomach bugs, Fisman said the risks are 'climate sensitive.' 'There are foodborne illnesses like Campylobacter, Shigella and salmonella… and those are climate sensitive,' he said. 'Hotter weather can increase the risk of foodborne illness, obviously increase the risk of food spoilage and so forth.' He also noted the growing concern around antibiotic resistance, pointing to new Canadian research: 'My colleague Dr. Derek MacFadden, at University of Ottawa, has actually shown that hotter weather is associated with a surge in antibiotic resistance, which people may not realize.' How to stay healthy? Experts say basic hygiene still matters, especially when it comes to respiratory viruses. 'The advice in terms of respiratory infections is the advice for COVID,' said Fisman. 'If you're in a closed, crowded space, you can open a window. You can do activities outdoors if you're concerned. You (should not) show up and infect other people if you're sick.' Bogoch agreed the risks are manageable — if people stay informed. 'Enteroviruses are more common in the summer months, and to no one's surprise, we're starting to see a rise in reported enterovirus cases in Canada,' he said. But he wants to reassure people there is no reason to sound the alarm. 'The key message is, have a wonderful summer. Enjoy. We're going to be okay.'
CBC
5 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Indigenous people's health tightly tied to speaking their own languages, review finds
Social Sharing A new research review out of the University of British Columbia (UBC) has found that Indigenous people experience better health outcomes when they speak their traditional languages. Researchers analyzed 262 academic and community-based studies from Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, and determined 78 per cent of them connected Indigenous language vitality with improved health. Studies found positive outcomes ranged from better physical and mental health, to increased social connections and healing, to greater educational success. One 2007 study out of B.C. revealed that youth suicide rates were down in First Nations communities where larger amounts of people spoke Indigenous languages. "Part of the reason why we undertook this literature review in the first place was because almost everyone that we speak with in Indigenous communities who is working on language revitalization report that reclaiming and learning their language has played a big role in their own personal health," said co-author Julia Schillo, a PhD student in UBC's linguistics department. She did the literature review, Language improves health and wellbeing in Indigenous communities, alongside a team of UBC researchers, with help from the University of Toronto and the University of Sydney. One of their major findings was the importance of health care being offered in an Indigenous language, with proper translation. Without that, patients were at risk of being diagnosed incorrectly or misunderstanding medical instructions, and reported feeling alienation or a lack of respect. In one example, Inuit children were misclassified on cognitive tests because their testing was in English, not Inuktitut. The review found connections between language and well being run deeper than direct communication, too. For instance, Schillo says physical health improves when Indigenous people participate in traditional sports and consume a traditional diet — and that both of those activities correlate with speaking traditional languages. "Based off of the literature review, but also people that I've talked to, it has to do with how language revitalization plays into identity and feelings of belonging and connection," she said. "It has a lot to do with healing from trauma, and intergenerational trauma that's related to the Indian residential school system." Those findings hold true for Chantu William, a young Tsilhqot'in language speaker and second generation residential school survivor who says learning her language growing up supported her mental health and identity as an Indigenous person. William, who wasn't involved in the study, is an early childhood educator and a policy analyst in her nation. She's working on language handbooks to give to parents at the local daycare, "for the language to stay inside the home." She co-developed language curriculum with her mother, as part of the Youth Empowered Speakers Program, with the First Peoples' Cultural Council. William says the idea for the language handbooks came from Māori relatives in New Zealand, who have similar programming that started in the 1980s, and are strong language speakers. "I feel so honoured to be able to teach and learn [Tsilhqot'in] with my preschool and day care kids and the youth in my life. I feel so grateful that I'm in this space, in our community sharing the language." William says hearing youth and elders speak the language with each other makes her happy, and that for her, "it gave direction in life." Johanna Sam, who is also Tsilhqot'in and an assistant professor at UBC in the department of education, says that if governments want to support Indigenous health, language revitalization needs to be part of the conversation. "Indigenous languages are so much more than words; they carry our laws, our stories and our knowledge systems that have sustained our nations since time immemorial," she said, noting that some words in Indigenous languages cannot be translated to English. Sam says she didn't have a lot of opportunity to learn her language being a first-generation residential school survivor, but she grew up hearing older generations in her family speak it and that uplifted her pride and identity. She wants to see more investment in Indigenous language curriculum and more options for health care to be provided in Indigenous languages. It's something the review's researchers are also calling for. They're asking all levels of government to provide long-term funding for Indigenous language revitalization and to recognize speaking the languages as a social determinant of health.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Canada's Trump-Fueled Brain Gain
A year ago, when Timothy Snyder and his wife, Marci Shore, both prominent Yale historians, moved to Canada after being recruited to the University of Toronto, they thought it would be a fun adventure. 'I was trying to have a positive midlife crisis,' Professor Snyder said in an interview. By the time they had settled into their new home, the mood in the progressive academic circles that feted them back in New Haven, Conn., was rapidly darkening after the election of Donald J. Trump in November. The Trump administration has put U.S. colleges in its cross hairs, accusing some of cradling haters of America. It has launched policies that threaten to expel international students and jeopardize funding and academic freedoms. Professors Snyder and Shore, along with Jason Stanley, a Yale philosophy professor who also moved to Toronto, have in recent months become outspoken about the Trump administration. They published a widely shared New York Times video opinion piece titled, 'We Study Fascism, and We're Leaving the U.S.' At the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, they joined Brian Rathbun and Nina Srinivasan Rathbun, international relations professors who made a similar move last year from the University of Southern California. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
University of Toronto agrees to host Harvard students facing Trump visa restrictions
Harvard University and the University of Toronto and have announced a plan that would see some Harvard students complete their studies in Canada if visa restrictions prevent them from they're barred from entering the United States. The pact between the two schools reflects the tumultuous and 'exceptional' politics of the postsecondary world during the second term of US president Donald Trump. The deal is between the Harvard John F Kennedy School of Government and the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Jeremy Weinstein, the Harvard Kennedy School dean, said in a letter to students the plans are meant to ease concerns but a formal program would only be unveiled if there is 'sufficient demand' from students who are unable to come to the United States. 'We are deeply grateful for the support of the Munk School and other partners, who are helping to ensure that we can continue to provide all HKS students with the excellent education they deserve,' he said. Harvard is locked in an acrimonious legal battle with the Trump administration after it claims the Department of Homeland Security improperly revoked its ability to enrol international students. Nearly a quarter of Harvard's students come from outside the US and are a key source of funding for the school. Harvard has so far won two preliminary injunctions against the DHS, probably clearing a path for international students to obtain entry visas. 'These are exceptional times,' Janice Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, said in a statement. 'If Harvard Kennedy School international students are not able to complete their studies in Cambridge, Mass., the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy looks forward to providing shared academic and co-curricular experiences for students from both our schools.' In addition to the HKS at Munk School program, the schools also announced HKS Global, which will have both an online and in-person component. Harvard students attending the University of Toronto will still have to apply for Canadian study permits and would be enrolled as full-time, non-degree students at the Munk school. The future program is only open to students who have already completed a year of study the United States. Canada has put its own cap on international students and curtailed the amount of visas it will issue. The University of Toronto said the plan with Harvard 'would not reduce the number of spaces available for U of T students in any academic programs or in university housing'.
Independent Singapore
6 days ago
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
Harvard and University of Toronto brace for crisis, draft backup plan for international students
A group of multicultural students (for illustration purposes only) TORONTO: In an audacious and extraordinary move, Harvard University and the University of Toronto have teamed up to protect and defend the academic future of many international students who have been caught in the crossfire resulting from America's ever-changing immigration guidelines. Confronted with the uncertainties involved in US visa protocols, the two internationally esteemed institutions have come up with a contingency plan that would permit some Harvard graduate students to continue their education in Canada. This is the first official global backup plan to counter US government initiatives to curb international student registration. The agreement involves Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Under this plan, students who are unable to return to the United States would be offered an opportunity to continue their studies in Toronto, with projects co-instructed by teachers from both campuses. In a joint statement to Reuters, the deans of both institutions stressed the value of academic permanence during these uncertain times, stressing their collective vow to support students confronted with immigration issues. This move follows a contentious effort in May by the US Department of Homeland Security to strip Harvard's ability to sign up international students, an initiative that was eventually obstructed by a federal judge. Notwithstanding the legal triumph, apprehensions remain among the 739 students from 92 countries presently registered in the Kennedy School's programmes. While the cross-border scheme will only be initiated if a considerable number of students are affected by visa or travel limitations, its introduction offers a vital safety net and assurance to the diverse global student population navigating an increasingly complex immigration environment.
