The New Public Health Agency of Canada Association of Public Health Epidemiologists in Ontario 2004 Annual Conference October 4, 2004

1
The New Public Health Agency of Canada
Association of Public Health Epidemiologists in
Ontario 2004 Annual ConferenceOctober 4, 2004
2
Background - 2003

• Very busy year in public health
• Key Canadian public health issues SARS, West
  Nile Virus BSE-Mad Cow (Walkerton - 2000)
• Wide spread public media attention
• Governments (Canada around the world), science
  community, non-government organizations, health
  sector, private sector all involved
• Recommendations from major committee reports
  (e.g., Naylor Kirby) on how to improve Canadas
  public health capacity
• F/P/T Health Ministers identified public health a
  top priority

3
Background 2003-04

• December 2003 Federal Minister of State for
  Public Health position created and announced
  (Dr. Carolyn Bennett)
• Federal 2004 budget announced increased funding
  to strengthen Canadas public health system
• First Ministers Meeting, September 13-15, 2004

4
2004 Federal BudgetNew Investments

• Committed 665 million initial funding to
  strengthen public health
• 100 million support front-line public health
  capacity
• 300 million New Vaccine Programs
• 100 million improved surveillance systems
• 165 million over 2 years other federal public
  health activities (e.g., strengthen preparedness
  against infectious diseases, create emergency
  response teams, National Collaborating Centres
  for Public Health)

5
First Ministers Meeting September 13-15, 2004

• All governments recognize public health efforts
  on health promotion, disease and injury
  prevention critical
• Achieve better health outcomes reduce pressure
  on the health care system
• Committed to accelerate work to improve public
  health across Canada
• -

6
First Ministers Meeting September 13-15, 2004

• 10-year action plan signed to include
• pan-Canadian Public Health strategy
• Adequate financial resources
• Evidence-based benchmarks to monitor progress
• Human Resource action plan
• interprofessional training
• investment in post-secondary education
• credentialing of health professionals
• Collaboration with all government levels, health
  sectors stakeholders

7
September 24, 2004

• Prime Minister Martins announcement
• first-ever Chief Public Health Officer of Canada
  appointed (Dr. David Butler-Jones)
• Public Health Agency of Canada officially created
  

8
Why a new Public Health Agency of Canada?

• Public health key to overall health strategy
• Provide clear federal leadership accountability
  to manage public health
• Strengthen collaboration with provinces
  territories, public health experts citizens
• Play major role in public health research
• Focus emergency preparedness response,
  infectious chronic disease prevention, health
  promotion and control injury prevention
• Share Canadian expertise with international
  community

9
Public Health Agency of Canada

• Health Canadas Population Public Health Branch
  provides the backbone of the Agency
• Two headquarters Winnipeg Ottawa plus regional
  offices and laboratories across Canada
• Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) located in
  Winnipeg
• Work with a new pan-Canadian Public Health
  Network National Collaborating Centres for
  Public Health

10
Health Canada the Agency

• Health Canada provides
• National leadership on health policy development.
• Health regulations.
• Administration of the Canada Health Act.
• Health services for First Nations and Inuit.

• The PH Agency provides
• Emergency preparedness and response.
• Infectious and chronic disease prevention and
  control.
• Injury prevention and the promotion of good
  health.
• Collaboration and consultation on all public
  health issues.
• Establishing the Pan-Canadian Network.

11
pan-Canadian Public Health Network

• Serve as a key mechanism to
• Collaborate on public health
• Facilitate national approaches for policy
  planning
• Join together public health experts from across
  Canada

12
National Collaborating Centres for Public Health

• 6 National Collaborating Centres will be
  established
• Determinants of Health (Atlantic Canada)
• Public Policy Risk Assessment (Quebec)
• Infrastructure, Info-structure New Tools
  Development (Ontario)
• Infectious Diseases (Prairies)
• Environmental Health (British Columbia)
• Aboriginal Health (British Columbia)

13
Purpose of the National Collaborating Centres

• Provide national focal points for key priority
  areas in public health with provinces
  territories, academics, non-governmental
  organizations and federal government
• Build on established regional expertise
• Accelerate public health research best practices

14
Ontario and Nunavut Region

• 30 year history of federal regional work in
  health promotion and disease prevention (e.g.,
  childrens health, seniors health, chronic and
  infectious disease prevention)
• Optimal regional presence and responsibilities to
  be determined (e. g. will continue to link with
  regional stakeholders, including the Province, to
  analyse regional developments)

15
Ontario and Nunavut Region

• Two regional operations
• the Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses in Guelph
• offices of the former PPHB Regional Office
  located in Toronto, Kitchener, Sudbury, Thunder
  Bay, Nepean

16
Transition Timelines

• Phase 1 Establish Public Health Agency
  appoint Chief Public Health Officer for Canada
  (completed)
• Phase 2 Develop proposed Legislation for the
  Agency (Legislated Mandate) to Parliament
  Spring 2005
• Phase 3 Post Legislation 2005 beyond
• F/P/T Task Groups to provide direction

17
Public Health Changes in Canada

• Change in federal public health organization
  leadership
• Significant new public health federal investments
  
• F/P/T agreements to work together
• Great optimism for public health in Canada

18

• Together, we WILL make a difference to build a
  stronger public health foundation!

19
For More Information

• Visit the Public Health Agency of Canada website
• www.phac-aspc.gc.ca
• or link from the Health Canada website
  www.hc-sc.gc.ca