The Public Health Agency of Canada has been in touch with the Canadian Interfaith Conversation consortium this fall as part of a public awareness initiative to prevent the spread of measles. The Co-Chair of the consortium, the Rev. Dr. Peter Noteboom, has reached out to the faith groups participating in this conversation, encouraging them, in keeping with their commitment to protect the most vulnerable in society, to join the public awareness initiative by sharing the request to help reduce the risks of getting or spreading measles. He writes that “Thus far in 2025, over 5000 cases of measles have been reported in Canada, resulting in two deaths, whereas the total number of cases for all of 2024 was only 285.” As a member of the Canadian Council of Churches, The Presbyterian Church in Canada is part of the consortium.
If you’re wondering what the church has said about health initiatives, visit the Social Action Hub’s health and wellbeing section, which includes the PCC’s history of promoting access to vaccines and medicines. Examples of action to encourage vaccine and medicine uptake or distribution in public health crises can be found in the A&P. Here are three examples:
- 2022: The church advocated to the Government of Canada that Canada become a hub for vaccine production, with a percentage being donated to middle and low-income countries without the capacity to produce vaccines safely. Presbyterians are invited to learn more about Love My Neighbour, a Canadian campaign advocating for equitable access and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to communities in vulnerable circumstances around the world. (A&P 2022, pp. 141-2, 45)
- 2021: The church supported the interfaith campaign “Love my Neighbour,” which advocated for support to COVAX (the global initiative to provide funding for vaccines to low and middle-income countries) and to support the temporary waiving of TRIPS (Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) at the World Trade Organization to allow for increased production of COVID-19 vaccines in multiple countries.
- 2003: General Assembly commended the Government of Canada for its commitment to the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria and recommended the Government of Canada provide leadership at the World Trade Organization in changing trade and patent policies so that medicines needed to combat public health crises are accessible in an equitable manner to citizens in poor countries. (A&P 2003, pp. 304-306, 308, 15)
Read or download the Public Health Agency’s request to help reduce the risk of getting or spreading measles.