Comparative Analysis of Public Health Care Systems and Call of Reform in Canada

Author: Yonina Wu

Read the full article in the National High School Journal of Science

Published on August 16, 2025

Abstract

This comparative literature review critically examines the challenges facing Canada’s public healthcare system, with a focus on primary care accessibility, workforce distribution, and administrative efficiency. Drawing upon peer-reviewed articles, policy documents, and global health databases, this study analyzes the healthcare systems of Brazil, China, and Germany to extract lessons for Canadian reform. Sources were retrieved from PubMed, WHO databases, and national health portals, with inclusion criteria emphasizing recency (post-2018), national-scale impact, and system-wide evaluations. Key findings highlight Brazil’s Family Health Strategy as a successful model of decentralized, community-based care that increased primary access by 23% in underserved regions. China’s dual public-private system, with over 95% population coverage and a 20% reduction in drug prices through volume-based procurement, demonstrates effective administrative reform. Germany’s statutory insurance model exemplifies integrated, cost-efficient care with only 11.7% of GDP spent on healthcare compared to Canada’s 12.9% with worse wait times. In contrast, Canada’s limited preventative funding (<9%), uneven physician distribution, and siloed service delivery impede healthcare equity and efficiency.This study proposes targeted reforms: increasing primary care spending to 20%, integrating dental and pharmaceutical coverage, and piloting decentralized funding models. Limitations include reliance on secondary data and absence of longitudinal analysis. Future research should involve natural experiments and time-series evaluations of policy interventions.