Reconfirms commitment to mental health as part of new Health Accord

April 7, 2017 - Ottawa, ON - Health Canada

Canada’s publicly-funded, universal healthcare system is a source of great pride for all Canadians, and that’s why the Government of Canada is working hard with provincial and territorial governments to ensure Canadian families have access to the health care services they need. That includes support for mental health, which affects one in three Canadians, and is a critical factor in our overall health and well-being.

Today, the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, marked World Health Day at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, by announcing that, as part of Budget 2017, the federal government plans to provide targeted funding of $5 billion over 10 years to provinces and territories to improve access to mental health services. In particular, this investment will lead to better access to and shortened wait times for mental health support to help families, including children and youth under the age of 25.

With 12 provinces and territories having accepted the federal offer of funding for mental health, the Government of Canada is now focused on working with provincial and territorial Ministers of Health to set common objectives and track progress, in order to ensure accountability to Canadians for this new healthcare spending.

These investments complement federal investments announced in Budget 2017 of $828.2 million over 5 years for improving Indigenous health. This includes an additional $118.2 million over 5 years to improve mental health programing specifically for First Nations and Inuit. The Government of Canada will continue to work with Indigenous partners, provinces and territories, community organizations, mental health experts and other stakeholders to increase public awareness of, and combat the stigma associated with, mental illness.

Together, we will help make Canada’s health care system more responsive to the mental health needs of Canadians and will begin to close the gap in the availability of care in this area.