Issues

There are three different issues will be discussed in this policy brief the ongoing opioid crisis, inadequate for long term care and vaccine hesitancy. In the current Covid cases the opioid crisis has been emerged. More than 11500 apparent deaths occurred between January 2016 and December 2018 in Canada due to opioid. These losses of individuals’ lives make the opioid crisis has become a leading public health issue in different regions of Canada (Lisa & Jessica, 2018). Funding is an essential aspect of health care. Individual diagnosed with long terms issues often experience financial issues. Inadequate funding in the current corona situation may leads to ineffective long term care. Another issue that has been emerged in this current covid situation is hesitation to vaccine. Development of vaccine is a long term process, but current vaccines are being developing in very short period of time. This is causing vaccine hesitation among people (MacDonald, 2015).

Background

Opioids has been used in Canada for many years. Initially it was used as sedative. Canada was considered as one of the first nations to ban for the personal and non-clinical use, initiating with the opium act in 1908. Between 1945 and 1970 to hospital grants has been provided to address the long term care. After 2005, Canada has experienced outbreaks of vaccine preventable illnesses including measles outbreak in 2008, 2010-2012, 2015, and 2019. It is obvious that the vaccine hesitancy has effective vaccine acceptance in Canada (MacDonald, 2015). Nevertheless, it is significant to note that obstacles to accessing the vaccines and health care similarly play a part. This is chiefly the circumstance in remote societies in Canada. Vaccine hesitancy might be associated with the long term or short term side effects of the vaccine (Dubé et al., 2016). The funding issues might be raised as the result of increased outbreak of diseases in Canada (Grignon & Spencer, 2018). Opioid crisis has been emerged as the result of increased mental health issues like stress and depression. Top three issues for Ontario’s public health policy agenda include lack of awareness, lack of education, and inadequate involvement of healthcare leaders. The stakeholder will be involved are local healthcare providers, doctors, Ontario government, and federal government. The main pros to push each issue politically incudes increased funds, reduced illegal use of Opioid, and increased awareness about vaccination among individuals of Ontario. Some of the cons must be considered are reduced funding in other areas of healthcare, increased focus on vaccination only, and lack of reduced access to Opioid related medicines (Lisa & Jessica, 2018).

Considerations and challenges 

These issues needs focus of government organisations as inappropriate management of these issues can make them worse. Inappropriate funding for long term issues is big concern for the people for Ontario. To solve this issues effective the government organisation must release funds for healthcare organisation that are working for individuals with long term care needs. For example individuals with diabetes are at high risk of being died due to corona virus. The non-government organisation can raise funds by involving the local stakeholder in the policy development. The government should also reduce the cost of healthcare in long term health issues. To solve the opioid crisis in Ontario and other areas of Canada, the healthcare organisation must initiate campaigns to increase the awareness about the impacts of using opioids for non-medicinal purpose. The health care professionals must involve the non-government organisation and local health care providers. The policy will focus on providing the education related to opioid use in educational institute so that the children and teenagers can learn about the consequences.  The policy will also focus on providing promising funds to the local community members in Ontario.

Conclusion and recommendation

The issues will be addressed by the policy brief include inappropriate funding in long terms care, opioid crisis, and vaccine hesitancy. These issues has been noticed for a long time in Canada.  There are different issue can be occurred such as lack of awareness, lack of education, and low funding in other areas of healthcare. Some of the recommendations must be considered in the policy are involving local health care provider in the programme. Educating community members about vaccination can also be effective. The nurses must be involved in campaign and educating community members as they are equipped with effective communication skills. The policy should also focus on providing funds on all the long term illness and reducing the cost of long term care in local healthcare centres (Grignon & Spencer, 2018).

References

Dubé, E., Gagnon, D., Ouakki, M., Bettinger, J. A., Guay, M., Halperin, S., … & Fisher, W. (2016). Understanding vaccine hesitancy in Canada: results of a consultation study by the Canadian Immunization Research Network. PloS one, 11(6), e0156118.

Grignon, M., & Spencer, B. G. (2018). The Funding of Long-Term Care in Canada: What Do We Know, What Should We Know?. Canadian Journal on Aging/La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 37(2), 110-120.

Lisa, B., & Jessica, H. (2018). Evidence synthesis-The opioid crisis in Canada: a national perspective. Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada: research, policy and practice, 38(6), 224.

MacDonald, N. E. (2015). Vaccine hesitancy: Definition, scope and determinants. Vaccine, 33(34), 4161-4164.