Why a stand alone national strategy on brain injury?
The National Strategy on Brain Injury Must Stand Alone
Brain injury is one of the most pressing public health crises facing Canada today. It is a leading cause of death and disability among those under the age of 45, yet it remains widely misunderstood and under-addressed in health and social policy. While brain injury intersects with mental health, addictions, and other neurological conditions, it needs more than inclusion in a broad research framework or being categorized under other diagnoses. A dedicated National Strategy on Brain Injury is essential to ensure that prevention, rehabilitation, and lifelong support receive the targeted attention they require.
Lived Experience and Service Delivery Must Drive the Strategy
A national strategy must be built on the needs of those directly affected by brain injury—survivors, caregivers, and frontline service providers. The most pressing issues are access to care, proper diagnosis, long-term rehabilitation, and community integration. While research and the intersection of other neurological conditions plays an important role in understanding brain injury, it cannot be a substitute for the policy and service delivery changes that individuals and families need now. If brain injury is absorbed into a broader research agenda or grouped with other medical conditions, these immediate priorities risk being overshadowed, delaying meaningful action.
Download the full rationale for a stand alone strategy here.
Reduces Costs
Transforms Care
Ensures Fairness
Prioritizes People
A National Brain Injury Strategy isn’t about spending more—it’s about spending smarter. By coordinating efforts across the provinces and territories, we can cut costs, improve outcomes, and address the most pressing societal challenges in brain injury, from homelessness and incarceration to mental health and addiction.
Now is the time for decisive action. By investing in brain injury prevention, awareness, diagnosis, research, and community support today, government will reduce long-term costs, ease the burden on healthcare and social systems, and build a stronger, more resilient Canada for generations to come.
Reduce Healthcare Costs
Early identification and support reduces costly emergency room visits and hospital stays. In 2016, The Cridge Centre of the Family reported the cost in an acute care setting was $1,500 per day, while providing housing with supports cost $80 per day.
Reduce Criminal Justice Costs
Addressing brain injuries in offenders will reduce recidivism, and ease the burden on police, courts, and correctional facilities. It’s estimated the annual cost of prison is $120,000+ per inmate. The same amount could support four times the number of individuals in community with better outcomes.
Reduce Homelessness & Addiction-Related Costs
Many people who struggle with chronic homelessness and addiction have an undiagnosed brain injury. In 2017, CBC news reported the cost of homelessness in Vancouver to be $53,000 per person, while ‘housing-first’ models cost between $22,257 per person (high-needs) and $14,177 per person (moderate needs).
Serves as a “North Star”
Respects Jurisdictions
A national strategy can serve as a “north star,” guiding provinces and territories with clear goals, objectives, and best practices—while respecting their jurisdiction over healthcare delivery. Like Canada’s National Housing Strategy, it can provide flexibility for regional implementation through agreements and funding programs tailored to local needs, and like the National Dementia Strategy, it can drive coordinated, evidence-based action across the country.
It can provide a common vision and shared principles for addressing brain injuries, ensuring consistency and continuity of care across different regions.
The strategy can also facilitate collaboration and information sharing among the provinces and territories, promoting the exchange of successful initiatives and innovative solutions; and, therefore, improve the quality of care and support provided to Canadians with brain injuries.