*This petition will be presented to the Medical Council of Canada in 2022

Human trafficking is the exploitation of another human being for sex work or manual labour. The trafficker keeps all of the money the victim earns, and the victim carries no control over the hours worked or the actions performed. It is considered modern day slavery.

Human trafficking exists in Canada, and is on the rise. In 2019 alone, there was a 44% increase in police reported human trafficking incidents. Likewise, the Covid-19 pandemic has greatly worsened the human trafficking landscape in Canada and globally.

Victims of trafficking sustain psychological, physical, and sexual injuries requiring healthcare visits. Studies have shown that up to 88% of victims access healthcare while in captivity. However, 90% of trainee doctors in Canada say they would not be able to identify a trafficked patient, and this is because there is no formal education in Canadian medical schools on the signs of human trafficking. Physicians carry a huge potential to identify and potentially rescue victims, but we currently lack the knowledge to recognize and support this patient population.

With your support, we hope to convince the Medical Council of Canada to include questions about human trafficking on the medical licensing exams, which would make sure all future doctors in this country are trained to recognize and respond to this situation.

We believe that human trafficking is an essential component of holistic medical education. Due to the global effects of COVID-19 on human trafficking, it is more urgent than ever to address this educational gap. As future healthcare professionals, we carry a professional and ethical responsibility to be educated on human trafficking. 

About our organization:

The Canadian Medical Students Against Human Trafficking (CAMSAHT) is a student-led, national organization, developed to address the lack of education within the healthcare profession on the topic of human trafficking. CAMSAHT recognizes that the profile of human trafficking within Canada requires a diverse approach with input from medical students, researchers, healthcare professionals, organizations, and survivors across Canada. As such, our organization is composed of medical students dedicated to education, research and advocacy on human trafficking. We also closely collaborate with NGOs, support groups, and other important players in the field of anti-trafficking initiatives.

For more information, please visit www.camsaht.org

Thank you, we appreciate your support. 

Sincerely,

CAMSAHT National Executives