News @ a glance

SSRI growth: The number of SSRI prescriptions dispensed in Canada jumped from under 9 million in 1999 to 15.6 million in 2003, reveals a new study. Two-thirds of users are women, says the study's author, health-policy researcher Janet Currie. “One has to ask — is there a reason why depression rates have soared so dramatically in the last 15 to 20 years at exactly the same time as SSRIs came onto the market and have been aggressively promoted by drug companies?” she asks. The study, Marketization of Depression: Prescribing SSRI Antidepressants to Women, comes from the working group Women and Health Protection, which is funded through the Women's Health Contribution Program, Health Canada.

Death and taxes: Spending on health care in Canada increased by 7.7% from 2004 to 2005. An estimated $142 billion was spent in 2005, according to National Health Expenditure Trends 1975-2005, a December release from the Canadian Institute for Health Information. CIHI also reports that in 2005 health expenditure accounted for 10.4% of the national GDP, its highest-ever share. The top 3 spending categories were hospitals, drugs and physician spending, with totals of $42.4 billion, $24.8 billion, and $18.2 billion respectively. In 2001, expenditures on physician services totalled $14 billion. While expenses in the public sector reached $98.8 billion, costs in the private sector grew at a faster rate, seen by the 8.7% increase over last year, compared to a 7.3% raise in the public-sector. With an estimated per capita average health care cost of $4411. — Andréa Ventimiglia, Ottawa

Figure. Photo by: Art Explosion

Green goals: Canadian premiers and municipal leaders from the US, Europe and Australia have signed a declaration to combat global warming and promised to meet or exceed the original Kyoto Protocol targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2010. During the UN Climate Change Conference in Montréal, Dec. 6, 190 elected officials at municipal, state and provincial levels agreed to aim for a reduction of 30% by 2020. One of the conference's main goals was to move beyond the targets set in the Protocol, which expires in 2012. To date, 157 countries have ratified the Protocol; conference attendees tried to persuade others, notably Australia and the US, to sign on. — Andréa Ventimiglia, Ottawa

Here's to life: A new study from the US National Center for Health Statistics puts American life expectancy at an all-time high of 77.6 years. In comparison, the latest data from Statistics Canada (2002) shows an average Canadian life expectancy of 79.7 years. Statistics Canada reports that Canada had the second highest rate of population growth among the G8 countries between 1994 and 2004. The Canadian population grew at a rate approaching 1% during that time; the US rate was 1.1%. — Andréa Ventimiglia, Ottawa

Public v. private: Now that the federal election is over, Quebecers should soon see a White Paper outlining policy for the purchase of private medical insurance, as promised by the provincial government. The paper, which is sure to revive the debate over a 2-tier health care system, comes as a result of a June 2005 Supreme Court ruling (the Chaoulli decision) striking down Quebec's ban on buying private insurance for public health care services. Provincial officials say the government delayed release of the paper until after the federal election because it did not want it to become an election issue. But provincial opposition parties say there is now less time for Quebecers to challenge the paper's contents before legislation can be implemented by the Supreme Court's June 9 deadline. — Andréa Ventimiglia, Ottawa

Leprosy treatment: Novartis AG is donating free treatment for leprosy until 2010 through the auspices of the WHO. The company's previous donation between 2000 and 2005 led to the cure of about 4 million patients. Last year, 286 000 cases of leprosy were treated, a fall of 38% from the start of 2004. Leprosy remains a problem in 9 countries: Angola, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania, India, Nepal and Brazil. — Compiled by Barbara Sibbald, CMAJ