Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Joss Reimer, released the 2026 State of Public Health in Canada report on October 27, examining seven population health trends. It finds that life expectancy has largely recovered since the COVID-19 pandemic, yet the number of years people live in good health has dropped.

What are the seven trends in the report?

The annual report looks at a set of health issues to give a national snapshot:

  • Years lived in good health
  • Mental health
  • Toxic drug harms
  • Sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections
  • Measles
  • Cancer
  • Wildfires

Cancer offers one example of mixed signals. Overall diagnoses and deaths have fallen, but new cases of some cancers are climbing and need closer monitoring, according to the report.

Why do some groups fare worse?

The report says progress in public health is not guaranteed and is not shared evenly. Some communities experience poorer health than others, and the report links this to social conditions such as income and housing, along with structural forces including racism and colonial legacies. Because these forces sit behind many health problems at once, the report argues that fixing them takes cooperation among communities, sectors and systems rather than any single agency acting alone.

What comes next for public health?

Dr. Reimer set out three priorities that will shape her work: supporting the health of younger populations, strengthening prevention and readiness for new and recurring threats, and building public health knowledge, trust and leadership. Health equity and reconciliation are meant to run through all three.

The report also acknowledges its limits, noting that topics such as antimicrobial resistance, tuberculosis, chronic diseases and digital environments remain important priorities for future work. A companion dashboard with more than 50 indicators lets the public track population health data.

FAQ

Who released the 2026 report?

It was issued by Dr. Joss Reimer, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, through the Public Health Agency of Canada.

What is the report's most notable finding?

Life expectancy has mostly rebounded after the pandemic, but years lived in good health have declined, the report says.