In preparation for a future health crisis, Montreal Public Health wants to identify solutions to mitigate the collateral impacts of measures to combat the threat that often hit vulnerable people the hardest.
Montreal's Regional Public Health Department (DRSP) presented a report Tuesday on the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, which included recommendations for future health emergencies.
"Our objective behind this is to learn from these two years, to keep a collective memory. Our wish is really to see what we need to work on and what we need to improve within public health and with our partners for a more effective and equitable response," said Montreal public health director Dr. Mylène Drouin.
The report summarized the adverse effects of health measures on the Montreal population in areas such as mental health, domestic violence and alcohol and cannabis use.
Since Montreal was more affected by public health restrictions, its "mental health indicators — both anxiety and depressive disorders — were consistently higher than the rest of the province," Dr. Drouin told reporters in a technical briefing.
But Montreal's top doctor noted that these indicators were improved when pandemic restrictions were relaxed.
One of the key recommendations of the PHRD is to put in place a system to track the various impacts of health measures such as job loss, school absenteeism and food insecurity.
Drouin said it was about finding a better balance between measures to control the threat and the burden of its impacts on vulnerable populations.
The report card also looks at social inequalities: "Not everyone is equal when it comes to health emergencies, whether it's heat or flooding," said Dr. Drouin.
She said that the ability to take protective measures and recover varies depending on a person's level of vulnerability.
"We know that crises exacerbate social inequalities. That's why it's so important in the way we plan and deploy our interventions to integrate this reading of social inequalities from the outset to guide our strategies," said the public health director.
Dr. Drouin gave the example of the success of the vaccination efforts that were aimed at reaching the most disadvantaged people or those experiencing homelessness.
BRING BACK FACE MASK MANDATE?
Montreal Public Health also wants to tackle misinformation. It plans to adjust its communication strategies to rally the public around credible sources of information.
When asked about the idea of re-imposing or strongly recommending the wearing of masks in indoor public spaces, Dr. Drouin deferred to the province, which is scheduled to hold a news conference on Wednesday.
However, she indicated that she would not advocate for mandatory masking in schools.
Dr. Drouin said such a measure is "definitely effective" in reducing transmission and protecting hospital capacity. She urged the public to wear masks in higher-risk areas, such as enclosed areas where there are many people in close proximity over a long period of time.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 15, 2022.
--
This article was produced with the financial support of the Meta and Canadian Press News Grants.
