SOCIAL WELFARE NOT WARFARE

Canada’s reduced pledge to Global Fund will impact domestic health

Canadian Medical Association Journal

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Canada should rethink its reduced pledge to the Global Fund to protect the health of people in Canada as well as around the globe, argue authors in an editorial published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.252036.

In November, Canada reduced its pledge by 16% to the Global Fund, which fights AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria and strengthens pandemic preparedness. Two related commentaries in the same issue describe increases in tuberculosis in Canada and the backsliding in addressing HIV/AIDS around the world and potential solutions.

“Canada’s reduced pledge to the Global Fund reflects shortsighted political thinking that fails to appreciate the complexity of global health threats and long-term health consequences,” write Drs. Kirsten Patrick, editor-in-chief, CMAJ, and deputy editor Helena Swinkels. “If the anticipated shortfall in pledges to the Fund is not offset, Canada should anticipate reduced success in domestic TB and HIV control in forthcoming years, rather than the progress toward elimination that is hoped for now.”

Reduced funding will also open the door to other infectious disease threats.

“Unfortunately, HIV and TB control will not be the only casualties of the current global funding shortsightedness,” write the authors. “In public and global health, managing problems in silos may seem appealing, but health threats do not fit into neat containers; they affect systems. As the COVID-19 pandemic revealed plainly, surges in rates of 1 infectious disease can ultimately affect health systems’ ability to manage others. A decrease in resources for disease management adds complexity to this problem.”

The CMAJ editors urge Canada’s government to invest in improving social determinants of health that underly TB and HIV infection, and to implement disease-specific suggestions outlined in the related commentaries published in CMAJ, such as creating a national body to address TB and providing better access to data and medications for both diseases.

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Journal

Canadian Medical Association Journal

DOI

10.1503/cmaj.252036 

Method of Research

Commentary/editorial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Canada’s reduced pledge to the Global Fund will threaten infectious disease control at home

Article Publication Date

15-Dec-2025

1 in 4 children with major traumatic injuries not cared for in pediatric trauma centres

Need to improve access to care for pediatric patients

Canadian Medical Association Journal

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New research shows that 1 in 4 children with major traumatic injury do not receive care in a pediatric trauma centre, where outcomes are generally better than in adult centres. The authors of the study, published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.250625, recommend evidence-based strategies to improve care for this vulnerable age group.

“Given the strong evidence of improved clinical outcomes associated with care in pediatric trauma centres, access to these centres in Canada must be improved urgently,” writes Dr. Lynne Moore, professor, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, with coauthors. “Since most severely injured children first present to nonpediatric hospitals, the most effective strategies lie in strengthening decision support in prehospital environments and nonpediatric hospitals, not in costly new infrastructure.”

Researchers found that in a study across 9 Canadian provinces over 5 years (2016 to 2021), 3007 children were admitted to an acute care hospital with major traumatic injuries. Of these, 2335 (77%) were directly transported (879, 29%) or transferred (1456, 48%) to a pediatric trauma centre.

Pediatric trauma centres offer specialized health care and support for the specific physical and psychological needs of children and their families.

Variability in access to pediatric trauma centres exists, with higher access in Alberta and Manitoba than in Ontario, and lower access in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and the Atlantic provinces.

The authors suggest that provincial trauma systems integrate evidence-based strategies to improve access to pediatric care. A standardized prehospital triage tool adapted to pediatric patients, pediatric readiness assessments for nonpediatric hospitals, and teleconsultation pathways between referring hospitals and pediatric centres are some strategies.

“Immediate implementation of evidence-based strategies to improve care for children with major trauma, coupled with targeted research and national data coordination, would save lives and provide more equitable trauma care for children in Canada, regardless of where they live,” the authors conclude.

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Journal

Canadian Medical Association Journal

DOI

10.1503/cmaj.250625 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Access to pediatric trauma centres in Canada: a population-based retrospective cohort study

Article Publication Date

15-Dec-2025

How human interaction drove evolution to make bears less aggressive

Oxford University Press USA

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Close-up photo of an Apennine brown bear.

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Credit: Bruno D’Amicis/ Molecular Biology and Evolution

A new paper in Molecular Biology and Evolution, published by Oxford University Press, reports that Italian bears living in areas with many villages evolved and became smaller and less aggressive.

Humans have long shaped the environments in which they live, dramatically affecting ecosystems and biodiversity. Habitat change and overuse are among the human activities with the greatest impacts on wildlife, often leading to population declines and/or shifts in selective pressures, thus influencing how a species evolves.

The Apennine brown bear, Ursus arctos marsicanus, is a small and isolated population found only in Central Italy, with a long history of closeness to human communities. Previous research indicates that this population diverged from other European brown bears 2000-3000 years ago and has remained completely isolated since Roman times. “One major cause of decline and isolation,” said the paper’s lead author, Andrea Benazzo, “was probably forest clearance associated with the spread of agriculture and increasing human population density in Central Italy.”

Today, the Apennine brown bear population shows significant phenotypic differences compared with other brown bear populations. They have smaller bodies, unique head and facial features, and less aggressive behavior than European, North American, and Asian brown bear populations.

Researchers here focused on the recent evolutionary changes driven by human activities on this isolated and endangered bear population. They generated a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome for the Apennine brown bear and re-sequenced whole-genomes from a sample of individuals. These were compared with genomes from a larger European population in Slovakia, as well as previously published genomes of American brown bears.

They characterized genomic diversity and identified adaptation signals distinctive to this population. As expected, Apennine brown bears exhibited reduced genomic diversity and higher inbreeding compared to other brown bears. “More interestingly, however,“ added Giulia Fabbri, another author of the study, “we showed that Apennine brown bears also possess selective signatures at genes associated with reduced aggressiveness.”

The findings suggest that selection on behavior-related genetic variants, likely driven by the human removal of more aggressive bears, resulted in the emergence of a much less aggressive bear population. This illustrates how human encroachment into natural areas led to demographic decline and genomic erosion, increasing extinction risk, yet unintentionally promoting the evolution of a less conflictual relationship between humans and bears.

“The general implications of our findings are clear,” concluded Giorgio Bertorelle, another researcher involved in the study, “human-wildlife interactions are often dangerous for the survival of a species, but may also favor the evolution of traits that reduce conflict. This means that even populations that have been heavily and negatively affected by human activities may harbor genetic variants that should not be diluted, for example, by restocking.”

The paper, “Coexisting with humans: genomic and behavioural consequences in a small and isolated bear population,” is available (at midnight on December 15th) at https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/molbev/msaf292.

Direct correspondence to: 
Andrea Benazzo
Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnologies
University of Ferrara
Ferrara, ITALY
bnzndr@unife.it

To request a copy of the study, please contact:
Daniel Luzer 
daniel.luzer@oup.com

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Journal

Molecular Biology and Evolution

DOI

10.1093/molbev/msaf292 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Coexisting with humans: genomic and behavioural consequences in a small and isolated bear population

Article Publication Date

15-Dec-2025

PARENTING NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT

National Poll: Few parents offer teens guidance on healthy eating during holiday season

As holiday feasts approach, parents report challenges addressing weight, body image and balanced nutrition with teens

Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

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The poll highlights eating patterns that may signal challenges with maintaining a healthy diet.

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Credit: Sara Schultz, University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – As teens gain more independence in their food choices, many parents struggle to navigate conversations about nutrition —which could be especially important during the holidays, when celebrations often center around meals.

While parents recognize concerns about their teen’s eating habits, few provide concrete strategies to help them make healthy decisions during festive gatherings, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

One in three parents say it’s difficult to talk with their teen about food and weight, rising to more than half among parents who believe their teen is overweight.

“Weight can be a sensitive topic with young people,” said Susan Woolford, M.D., co-director of the Mott Poll and a Mott pediatrician. “But parents play an important role in offering guidance and watching for problematic eating behaviors. The holiday season is a key opportunity for supportive, nonjudgmental conversations.”

Many teens missing meals, eating for reasons other than hunger

Only half of parents say their teen eat three meals a day, suggests the nationally representative report that includes responses from 970 parents of teens aged 13-17 surveyed in August.

Parents perceive their teens’ weight in varying ways. While most believe their child is the right weight, one in seven describe their teen as underweight while one in five say their teen is overweight.

The poll highlights eating patterns that may signal challenges with maintaining a healthy diet. Just under a third of parents say their teen eats out of boredom or engages in mindless eating. Another 11% say their teen eats even after they’re full and 10% say their teen eats because they’re stressed.

These behaviors are reported much more often among parents who describe their teen as overweight.

Nearly a third of parents also say their teen has no typical eating pattern, while 13% report that their teen snacks throughout the day and 9% say their teen regularly skips breakfast.

A significant barrier to healthy habits is the reality of teens’ schedules, Woolford notes. Between school, extracurricular activities, work and social commitments, many teens “squeeze in” meals whenever possible.

“When teens are rushing between activities, they tend to grab whatever is quick and available,” she said. “Often that means processed snacks or fast food that are higher in calories and lower in nutritional value.”

She recommends that parents help by stocking healthy, convenient ‘grab-and-go’ options, and involving teens in choosing items and reading nutrition labels.

Parents should watch for problems in eating habits, body image

Despite concerns about eating habits, relatively few parents polled offer specific strategies to help teens navigate large holiday meals.

Among parent suggestions to their teen: eat something healthy ahead of time to avoid overeating (8%), decide in advance what to eat or avoid (5%), choose low-calorie foods (2%), increase exercise to “burn off” calories (10%) and diet or fast the next day (1%).

More commonly, parents give general direction such as “eat in moderation” (33%) or “eat whatever you want” (38%).

“Even small, practical tips like having a healthy snack beforehand can help teens feel more in control at big meals,” Woolford said.

The poll also reveals troubling signs of negative self-image:14% of parents have heard their teen say they feel “too fat,” 11% say their teen talks about needing to diet or fast after a big meal and 8% say their teen wants to hide their body with baggy clothes.

These concerns are far more common among parents who describe their teen as overweight.

Parents may fear that discussing weight or eating habits could harm teens’ self-esteem, Woolford says. But avoiding the conversation can also allow unhealthy patterns to continue.

“If parents notice a teen expressing repeated negative thoughts about their body or showing unhealthy eating patterns, it’s a good time to reach out to the teen’s healthcare provider,” she said. “These conversations don’t have to be about appearance. They can focus on energy, strength and overall well-being.”