Invest in Community Health Centres
Canada’s health system is under severe strain. Over 6.5 million Canadians lack access to primary care and emergency departments are over capacity. Structural inequities including poverty, racism, rural isolation, and aging populations, compound these challenges leaving seniors, Indigenous communities, newcomers, and low-income populations especially vulnerable.
Community Health Centres (CHCs) offer a proven, community-based solution to deliver effective, cost-efficient care. These not-for-profit community-governed organizations offer high-quality primary care and social support through a collaborative team approach. Diverse providers and clinicians provide integrated, wraparound care in a team environment, based on patient needs. CHCs are essential pillars of healthier, more resilient communities. Embedding primary care within an integrated model that combines medical, mental health, and social supports strengthens health equity, enhances disease prevention, and reduces strain on hospitals and emergency rooms.
Investing in Community Health Centres is essential to building a more equitable and efficient healthcare system. Stable federal investment will enhance primary care access, reduce health inequities, and create stronger, healthier communities across Canada. CHCs are where real change begins by meeting people where they are to strengthen the foundation of Canada’s health system.
Resources
- Impact of CHCs During COVID-19 Pandemic
- Improving Uptake of Vaccines Across Canada: CVP-National Project Report (2021-2023)
- Letter to Prime Minister and Premiers from CACHC and Provincial Community Health Centre associations (Feb 2023)
- CACHC welcomes recommendation for major federal investment in Community Health Centres (Sept 2022)
- CACHC’s 2021 Call to Action for Federal Government and all political parties
- Community Health Centres and COVID-19: Impact and Experiences from the Pandemic (July 2021)
- Infographic: Community Health Centres: Healthy People, Healthy Communities
- Video: Community Health Centres: Healthy People, Healthy Communities
