BC NDP leader David Eby is promising to improve access to women's health care with a new perinatal mental health unit, expanded menopause treatment coverage, and a province-wide women's health strategy if re-elected on October 24.
Speaking in Vancouver on Tuesday, Eby announced plans to establish what the party says would be Canada's first dedicated perinatal mental health unit at BC Women's Hospital, allowing mothers experiencing serious mental health challenges to receive inpatient treatment while remaining with their babies.
Eby unveils the BC NDP’s plan to improve healthcare for women:
— Sitka Media (@sitkamedia) October 13, 2026
- Open perinatal mental health unit
- Provide better access to menopausal care
- Give breast cancer survivors affordable PharmaCare coverage for alternative treatments
- Develop province-wide women's health strategy. pic.twitter.com/vhmKc7fcVe
"Too many women face barriers and delays when trying to access care they need and deserve," Eby said. "We have made meaningful progress in expanding maternal, reproductive, and menopausal care across BC – but we know there's a lot more to do."
The proposed unit would provide specialized care for mothers experiencing severe mental health challenges during pregnancy or after childbirth, reducing the need for separation from their newborns.
The BC NDP is also pledging to expand PharmaCare coverage for alternative menopause treatments, including medications for breast cancer survivors and others who cannot use menopausal hormone therapy.
Under the proposal, pharmacists would also be able to prescribe local vaginal estrogen to help treat recurrent urinary tract infections and other symptoms associated with menopause.
A new province-wide women's health strategy would focus on reducing diagnostic and treatment delays, expanding menopause care, strengthening reproductive and sexual health services, and improving maternal mental health support.
The announcement builds on several measures introduced by the BC NDP since 2017, including free prescription contraception and menopausal hormone therapy, publicly funded access to one standard IVF cycle and medications, at-home cervical cancer screening, and expanded pharmacist prescribing powers.
The party also pointed to the opening of Western Canada's first Complex Menopause Clinic and expanded HPV vaccination programs.
The BC NDP did not provide a cost estimate or implementation timeline for the proposed initiatives in its announcement.
British Columbians head to the polls on Oct. 24.
