Healthcare in French is a national Issue !
On September 20, 2021, VOTE to support health in French
In Canada, more than one million people living in a minority setting use French as their first official spoken language . While the Official Languages Act has celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, and now with a draft bill tabling its modernization, it is of note that the majority of Francophone and Acadian communities still do not have access to healthcare services in their language.
We can do better!
French healthcare priorities for the 2021 federal elections
The Société Santé en français, a national movement representing improved access to health services in French welcomes …
# 1
A strong commitment from the federal government to increase health services in the language of the official minority throughout the entire health continuum:
- Ottawa must show a greater commitment to working with the provinces, territories, and Francophone and Acadian minority communities (FAMCs) on French-language health services.
- Ensure that services are offered along the entire continuum (from early childhood to long-term care) throughout Canada.
- The Société Santé en français is calling upon the next federal government to engage and hold the provinces and territories to account in providing official languages recognition in healthcare transfers and to respect language rights’ obligations.
# 2
Increased federal government support and funding for French health networks, Francophone and Acadian minority community (FAMC) organizations, members of the Société Santé en français’ movement, mobilizing communities for improved access to healthcare services within FAMCs.
- The pandemic has highlighted the fundamental role that Francophone and Acadian organizations play in mobilizing quality French healthcare services within FAMCs.
- To address healthcare needs that are as acute as ever, it is essential to strengthen the community health sector and its ability to act on the various determinants of health that particularly affect minority communities (or FAMCs).
# 3
Ensuring a strong, mobilized collective of 16 regional, provincial and territorial networks working to co-ordinate partners interested in improving access to French-language healthcare services, aiming an increased support for the development of federal French-language health policies, programs and standards throughout the entire health continuum.
- A Francophone lens must be applied to anticipated reforms of Canadian healthcare systems to continue to provide quality services to the FAMCs, particularly following the pandemic. These services include primary health care, mental health and addictions, long-term care, and home care, along with advances in telehealth.
- The Société Santé en français and its national movement of 16 health networks requires that the federal government capitalize on funding supports of the provincial jurisdictions, leveraging its official language mandate.
- The national francophone health movement is a critical advantage to supporting the federal government in developing, assisting and sharing knowledge on key issues and solutions for better access to health services in French across minority settings in Canada.
# 4
Emphasizing the importance of evidence-based health, particularly regarding the needs of Francophones in minority settings and the active offer of healthcare services in French throughout Canada
- The federal government must focus on bolstering the collection of linguistic data pertaining to health to ensure that all key provincial, territorial and community stakeholders have access to the same data
- The federal government must support improved planning and the development of public policy and federally funded programs, accountable to Francophone minority communities across Canada.