CBC Health News

Elmo’s official X social media account shared a clip last week of the Muppet character talking to actor Andrew Garfield on Sesame Street about grief, with Garfield sharing feelings about the loss of his mother. It led to an outpouring of comments, with X users sharing their own stories of loss and grief.

Starting next week, the province will begin accepting requests for medically assisted dying before a person's condition, such as Alzheimer's, renders them incapable of giving consent.

A southwestern Ontario chemical plant under government orders to reduce emissions in the wake of health complaints by members of Aamjiwnaang First Nation will be decommissioned earlier than planned. INEOS Stryolution previously said it would permanently close the plant before June 2026, but hadn't ruled out restarting operations before that date. 

Pharmacists are pushing back against the Alberta government's plan to cut some of their fees, warning the move could lead to job cuts and ultimately hurt patient care.

A 73-year-old Métis man wants answers after his ponytail was cut before a hip surgery. The Saskatchewan Health Authority says it is investigating.

Canadians could soon lose access to a unique public collection of fungi that scientists say is crucial for important research, such as developing new drugs to treat antibiotic-resistant pathogens and treatments for fungal diseases emerging in a warmer climate.

Most Canadian adults, 83 per cent, say they have access to a regular family doctor or nurse practitioner, according to a new report. But those with a dedicated provider may face lengthy waits, the report's author says.

Carina Heller has found a creative way to donate her brain to science — while she's still using it.

A Halifax doctor has stepped up to help a local woman who's been stuck in limbo when it comes to getting a kidney transplant.

One person has died and dozens were sickened from E. coli infections linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers in 10 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said on Tuesday.

A Newmarket woman says home care for her husband, who is in palliative care with Stage 4 cancer, has been disrupted amid delays and shortages across Ontario for home and palliative care supplies. 

Dr. Ron Stewart of Cape Breton died of cancer in Halifax. He was 82. As Jean Laroche reports, many Nova Scotians would remember him for his brief political career — but he made a bigger impact much farther afield.

The coroner’s inquest into the deaths of five Niagara Detention Centre inmates between 2018 and 2022 opened with a lawyer reading heart-wrenching stories from some of the families and the medical officer of health testifying on the high opioid death rate in the region. All five men died of drug toxicity within 10 days of being transferred to the detention centre in Thorold, Ont. 

Record numbers of people in B.C. are being vaccinated against COVID-19 and flu, as the province ramps up its immunization campaign for respiratory illness season. The health ministry said B.C. pharmacies administered almost 82,000 vaccinations on Oct. 15 alone.

After years of following similar trends in the number of frostbite amputation cases, Edmonton and Calgary diverged last winter: Edmonton set a new record, while Calgary saw figures decrease. The reasons may include how the cities approach homeless encampments and frostbite treatment.

Municipalities in Newfoundland and Labrador are taking action against radon, an invisible radioactive gas that causes lung cancer. In Conception Bay South, 30 per cent of homes tested had high levels of radon. Now municipalities are encouraging homeowners get a radon test kit.

Some parents of severely autistic children say they are profoundly disappointed with Canada's new national plan for autism — which provides no specific timeline or funding to improve care and group home access.

A man's latest attempt to challenge B.C.'s rules on unpasteurized milk — also known as "raw milk" — was dismissed in the province's Supreme Court.

When an announcement came over the loudspeaker that armed intruders had entered a children's psychiatric hospital in Michigan, staff and patients flew into a panic. But it was all a just a drill.

Former federal health minister Dr. Jane Philpott will head a new team with a mandate to connect every person in Ontario to a primary care provider within the next five years, the province announced Monday.