Hoffman calls for Canada to re-affirm its commitment to global health in foreign-aid policy

November 26, 2012 - Canada’s diminishing role as a world leader in prioritizing health in its foreign-aid policy is examined in an op-ed piece by McMaster Health Forum adjunct faculty member Steven Hoffman published in the Globe and Mail on Nov. 26.

Hoffman, an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatics, draws on the announcement by International Cooperation Minister Julian Fantino on Canada’s vision for foreign-aid policy, to show how Canada has moved away from emphasizing health as a priority in foreign-aid policy.

While the country continues to invest in global health initiatives, Hoffman says: “Canada is certainly not the world leader it once was and should be on health issues. That role has been abandoned by the current federal government.”

To read the op-ed article, click here.

The commentary prompted this response from Fantino, also published in the Globe and Mail.

Hoffman was also interviewed about his views on foreign aid by CTV News. View the interview here.