Statement by Fabien Hébert, President of the Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario, on the Need for a Measles Outbreak Response that is Also Accessible in French

Hearst, May 9, 2025 – « The Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario (AFO) is concerned about the substantial lack of French-language communications and services that persists in the context of the measles outbreak currently affecting our province.

On May 7, Ontario’s Minister of Health stated that all necessary measures were in place to protect the population. We welcome this commitment. However, we must reiterate that a public health response can only be effective and equitable if it reaches the entire population.

Since the beginning of the outbreak, most public health units have failed to communicate in French and do not provide clear access to vaccination in the minority official language. This is also true in several regions designated under the French Language Services Act. This is a major public health concern that compromises not only the safety of Francophone families, but also our collective protection.

This is why we continue to call on the government to bring public health units under the French Language Services Act : a longstanding AFO request since the COVID-19 pandemic. A public health measure is only fully effective when it is accessible to the entire population, including both official language communities » stated Fabien Hébert, President of the AFO.

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CONTACT INFORMATION:
Grace Selenga
Corporate Communications Manager
(613) 878-3026
gselenga@monassemblee.ca