The International Day of Epidemic Preparedness was marked on 27 December. The UN General Assembly called for this day in 2020 to advocate for the importance of preventing and preparing for epidemics, in addition to creating local and global partnerships against epidemics. The UN emphasizes that “[t]here is great need of raising awareness, the exchange of information, scientific knowledge and best practices, quality education and advocacy programmes on epidemics at the local,

Our climate is changing. Human activities have increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, warming the planet and increasing the frequency and intensity of droughts, floods, heatwaves, hurricanes and storms. Homes, jobs and lives are lost during these extreme weather events, and they can impact our mental health and wellbeing. Heatwaves and droughts are becoming increasingly common in Canada and around the world, which will have a detrimental