October 2025
Dear Minister Michel, Health Ministers of Canada,
As you convene in Calgary to discuss the urgent healthcare needs of people living in Canada, Cancer Action Now, an alliance of health charities and patient organizations, urges consideration of a vital national asset: the health of Canadians affected by cancer.
While your governments are rightly focused on protecting our economies in the face of significant threats and challenges, we need you to know that the health of Canadians is not a competing priority but a fundamental component of a resilient and productive economy.
The economic burden of cancer is substantial, impacting workforce participation, productivity, and healthcare expenditures. The current Canada-U.S. relationship and shifts in U.S. policies create uncertainty regarding access to innovative diagnostics and treatments. This is Canada’s opportunity to lead – to foster an environment that attracts expertise and investment – and strengthen our domestic capacity in cancer innovation. This must be a priority as you develop a response to U.S. tariffs aimed at investing in the resiliency of Canada’s healthcare systems.
Therefore, we urge you to work across your governments to integrate the needs of Canadian cancer patients, into the economic sustainability framework that you must also be focussed on. This is not about diverting resources but about recognizing health as a critical economic enabler – an investment in our people and our country.
Specifically, we call for your support and acceleration of initiatives that will directly benefit cancer patients across the country by removing barriers and improving accessibility:
- Accelerate access to life saving medicines: Work collaboratively through the pCPA to eliminate barriers to accelerated access programs for cancer therapies. Learning from Ontario’s FAST pilot, adapt the concept to your unique health systems and jurisdictions to ensure cancer patients across the country have equal opportunity to benefit from faster access and to get back to where they want to be – contributing to their families, communities and country.
- Advance the pan-Canadian cancer data strategy: This is a pragmatic step towards efficiency and accountability in cancer care, ensuring that we can fix what we can measure. Your leadership is needed to improve data collection, access, and interoperability, paving the way for a responsive, learning health system that improves care delivery and health outcomes.
- Invest in Canada’s domestic capacity in research and innovation: With current dynamics, strengthening our domestic capacity for cancer research and innovation is crucial. This will fuel economic growth, build resiliency in our health systems, and ensure Canadians have access to necessary diagnostics and treatments, securing our future health independence and building on Canada’s position as a leader in healthcare innovation.
Investing in timely, equitable, and innovative cancer care is not a discretionary expense; it is a strategic investment in Canada’s economic future. It is about optimizing human capital and ensuring a robust, resilient workforce.
We stand ready to collaborate, offering data and practical insights to support policies that strengthen both our economy and the health of Canadians.
Sincerely,
Christina Sit & Michelle Burleigh
Co-Chairs
Cancer Action Now Alliance