Minister of Health Pocket Book: October 2021
Table of Contents
- A: Health Portfolio overview highlights
- B: Ministerial responsibilities
- C: The Portfolio
- D: Key messages
- E: Priority issues
- F: Key contacts
A: Health Portfolio overview highlights
Portfolio organizations
- Health Canada (HC)
- Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB)
Deputy Minister and Agency Heads
- Dr. Stephen Lucas, DM – HC
- Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar, President – PHAC
- Dr. Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer – PHAC
- Dr. Siddika Mithani, President – CFIA
- Dr. Michael J. Strong, President – CIHR
- Dr. Mitchell Levine, Chair – PMPRB
2021-22 Budget and full-time equivalents (FTEs)
- HC: $3,862,798,658 / 8,013 FTEs
- PHAC: $13,147,500,000 / 4,995 planned FTEs
- CFIA: $785,702,399 / 6065 FTEs
- CIHR: $1,254,000,000 / 511 FTEs
- PMPRB: $18,892,322 / 85 FTEs
The COVID-19 pandemic
- Continuing to manage and lead the federal response to COVID-19 will be a primary focus for the Government of Canada, the Minister of Health, and the Health Portfolio.
- Since the onset, the Health Portfolio (particularly Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada) have played a central role in relation to Canada's COVID-19 response.
- This has included Protection: leading scenario planning, surveillance, modelling and data transparency, screening, testing and tracing, and evidence-based research; Prevention: public health human resources, PPE, as well as the regulation, procurement and rollout of vaccines, and border posture; and Promotion: proactive communications, science-based public health advice, engagement and coordination with provinces and territories, and addressing wider health inequities.
- The Minister of Health plays a critical leadership role in the response, including working closely with key partners and stakeholders, particularly provincial and territorial governments that are the main health care providers in Canada.
Health of Canadians
- COVID-19 continues to dominate the lives of Canadians, resulting in suffering and loss of loved ones, financial hardships, and reduced social connections.
- Public health measures such as social distancing and wearing masks, implementing border measures, and securing enough vaccines to vaccinate all Canadians and supporting vaccination campaigns remain important tools to control the spread of COVID-19 and help prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
- One in three Canadians will have experienced mental illness by age 40, with 10 to 12 Canadians dying by suicide each day. COVID-19 has exacerbated these challenges, with reports of higher levels of anxiety and depression.
- The opioid crisis continues to ravage communities across Canada, with over 20,000 opioid-related deaths from January 2016 to December 2020. COVID-19 has worsened this crisis: seeing an 89 per cent increase in opioid-related deaths between April and December 2020 compared to the same period from 2019.
- Despite significant progress, chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic lower respiratory disease and diabetes continue to be the greatest causes of mortality in Canada.
- There are concerning trends in infectious diseases as well, with some sexually transmitted infections rising dramatically, and the re-emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles.
- Significant health inequities continue to exist in Canada between Canadians with different socioeconomic status and certain populations, including Indigenous peoples. Disparities exist in areas of life expectancy, infant mortality, rates of infectious disease, and mental illness hospitalizations among others.
- Canada's changing climate is resulting in negative health impacts with more frequent and severe weather events, heat waves and fires in Western Canada, natural disasters, and water quality issues.
- The rise in youth vaping and the threat of antimicrobial resistance are examples of other health challenges facing Canadians, areas in which the Health Portfolio is leading work to ensure Canadians are safe and informed to make healthy choices.
Health system in Canada
- Health is a shared responsibility in Canada, with the federal government and the provinces and territories (PTs) having distinct roles.
- The Minister of Health is responsible for setting and administering national standards for the health care system through the Canada Health Act (CHA), and provides funding support for provincial and territorial health care services through the Canada Health Transfer.
- Federal health activities include providing health care to federal populations (e.g. Correctional Service Canada) and certain Indigenous communities (through Indigenous Services Canada), along with programs to protect and promote health, and regulate health and consumer products, food and harmful substances, and patented drug prices.
- PTs manage, organize and deliver health care services to their residents through provision of PT health insurance plans, and regulate health professions within PT jurisdiction.
- Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) collaboration, and collaboration across federal departments, is crucial to address health issues and health system challenges, especially in areas of shared responsibilities such as mental health and addiction services, health promotion, preventing the spread of communicable disease, and responding to public health emergencies.
- Canada's health care system faces several challenges, with significant demographic, technological and economic changes occurring in the decades since its design.
- These challenges include an ageing and more diverse population requiring increasing long-term care and home care needs, and a backlog of approximately 580,000 surgeries due to the pandemic.
- However, the pandemic created opportunities to make advancements in areas of digitization and virtual care, with federal investments supporting the development of new tools and virtual services across the country.
Federal health regulation
- The Health Portfolio administers and enforces over 160 regulations and 40 Acts, directly impacting the health and safety of Canadians.
- This includes providing regulatory oversight throughout the lifecycle (from clinical trials to market safety surveillance) of a wide range of health products including drugs, biologics (such as vaccines and tissues), medical devices, veterinary drugs, consumer products, natural health products, food, chemicals and pesticides.
- Health Canada introduced innovative measures through a new accelerated process for regulatory approvals to adapt to the urgent need caused by COVID-19 for safe and effective health products. For example, the Department strengthened and modernized COVID-19 vaccine reviews. Health Canada prioritized COVID-19 vaccine reviews, reducing the average number of days for review from 397 days pre-pandemic to 82 days, while also ensuring that vaccines are safe, effective and of high quality.
Health research and innovation in Canada
- The Health Portfolio contributes to health research by supporting the work of academics, researchers and research institutions (e.g., universities, hospitals, research centres), and health care and community organizations, primarily through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
- The Portfolio is also involved in international research activities to address emerging health threats, such as CIHR's efforts to align Canadian research with global research efforts through international collaboration.
- PHAC collects and analyzes data to inform action on a range of public health issues (e.g., cancer prevention, the opioid overdose crisis, mental health, and food-borne outbreaks) through over 85 surveillance systems used to generate reports, bulletins and health advisories.
B: Ministerial responsibilities
- The Health Portfolio is mandated to help Canadians maintain and improve their health.
- Portfolio's main activities include:
- Responding to public health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic;
- Strengthening Canada's universal health care system;
- Enabling access to safe and high-quality health and food products;
- Engaging people to adopt behaviours and make changes that reduce the risk of developing chronic disease, and promote health and well-being;
- Managing risks to health; and,
- Supporting health research and science, data collection and surveillance capacity.
- The Minister of Health is supported by five science-based organizations:
- Health Canada (HC);
- Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC);
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA);
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); and
- The quasi-judicial Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB).
C: The Portfolio
Health Canada (HC)
- Pandemic response: Since January 2020, Health Canada has played a key role in contributing to the pandemic response. For example, in 2020-21 Health Canada approved five vaccines, which were then rolled out across the country.
- Supports universally accessible, publicly funded health care for Canadians through administration of the Canada Health Act, leadership on emerging issues, and cooperation with PTs on system improvements.
- Enables access to safe and effective health products by assessing and regulating health products, such as drugs and medical devices.
- Supports Canadians in making safe and healthy choices through public education and awareness campaigns to communicate health and safety information.
- Manages the health risks of harmful substances, cannabis, consumer products, chemicals and pesticides and reduces environmental health risks such as climate change.
Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
- Pandemic response: Responsible for emergency preparedness and response, providing key services in the federal response including: coordinating with PTs, providing epidemiological and modelling information to support good decision making, financing and rolling out vaccines and supporting a public health focused border posture.
- Protects the health of Canadians by providing national leadership in anticipating, preparing for and responding to public health events and emergencies, and providing timely public health information to prevent disease and issues of concern.
- Promotes the well-being of Canadians by preventing the spread of infectious diseases, chronic disease and injury.
- Supports Canadians in making healthy choices by promoting healthy behaviour and practices, and addressing the root causes of health inequalities.
- Collaborates with a wide range of partners and stakeholders including provinces and territories, Indigenous and international partners, on shared health priorities.
- Supports public health action through surveillance, evidence and public education, and promotes the use of evidence by public health practitioners and policy makers.
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
- Safeguards Canada's food supply to keep Canadians safe and healthy.
- Protects Canada's plant and animal resources from pests and diseases.
- Supports Canadian food businesses as they compete, innovate and grow in domestic and global markets.
- Reports through the Minister of Health except in agriculturally focused areas, where the agency reports through the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- Mandated to support research and innovation, CIHR uses the power of research to improve the health of Canadians, solve health challenges and make our health care system more efficient and effective.
- Invests over $1.254 billion annually to support over 14,000 world-class researchers and trainees, supporting biomedical, clinical, health systems services, and population health research pillars.
- Prioritizes activities that: advance research excellence in all its diversity; strengthen Canadian health research capacity; accelerate the self-determination of Indigenous peoples in health research; pursue health equity through research; and integrate evidence in health decisions; all while committing to organizational excellence.
- Supports Canada's research enterprise by working closely with other federal granting agencies (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council), and with other domestic and international partners.
- Composed of 13 "virtual" institutes focusing on a specific area of research. Each institute is led by an internationally renowned scientist and works on a broad spectrum of topic areas.
Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB)
- Mandated to protect Canadian consumers from excessive drug pricing and report on drug trends and research and development (R&D) spending by patentees.
- Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) is an independent, quasi-judicial consumer protection agency at arm's length from the Minister of Health.
- PMPRB's Executive Director is responsible for the day-to-day administration and oversight of its public service staff.
- The Minister of Health has responsibility for the PMPRB. Under the authority of the Patent Act (s. 90), the Minister may also direct the PMPRB to inquire into any matter regarding patented medicine prices and report its findings.
D: Key messages
- I am honoured to be appointed Minister of Health.
- I look forward to being briefed by officials from my Health Portfolio on the pressing issues affecting the health and safety of Canadians with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic being a key concern.
- I also look forward to working collaboratively with the provinces, territories, Indigenous partners and my federal counterparts.
If pressed on specific Health Portfolio issues:
- Thank you for your question. That is certainly something on my radar, and an issue I look forward to learning much more about.
- As mentioned, I will soon be meeting with officials from the Health Portfolio. I welcome the opportunity to speak to you in more depth on this issue in the weeks to come.
If pressed on COVID-19 pandemic:
- Thank you for your question. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of Canadians across the country and around the world for a year and a half.
- Canada is experiencing a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, largely driven by the more transmissible Delta variant, which accounts for the majority of recently reported cases.
- Ongoing community transmission of COVID-19 is concerning; however, vaccination is one of the most effective tools we have at our disposal to protect broader public health in the face of COVID-19, and to prevent future outbreaks. Used in combination with preventive public health measures, it offers the best available protection for Canadians.
E: Priority issues
COVID-19: Fourth wave
Issue:
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant illness, death and socioeconomic disruptions in Canada and worldwide. Canada started the fourth wave of COVID-19 in July, driven by the Delta variant of concern.
Proposed responses:
- I look forward to working with officials, and provinces and territories to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 and the Delta variant in Canada.
- A full COVID-19 vaccine series―combined with adherence to public health measures-is key to controlling the spread of the virus.
- Evidence shows that vaccines are highly protective, even with the emergence and spread of the Delta variant in Canada.
Pandemic preparedness and response
Issue:
There has been significant media and public interest in Canada's pandemic preparedness and response to COVID-19.
Proposed responses:
- Protecting the health and safety of all Canadians is my top priority.
- I am proud of how the Health portfolio mobilized and adapted to respond to COVID-19: securing medical supplies for the provinces and territories and access to vaccines; making critical information available to Canadians; and establishing travel and border measures.
- There are and will be many lessons for everyone from this pandemic. I look forward to working with officials on how to adjust our approach so that Canada remains well-positioned and prepared to respond to future global health events.
COVID-19 vaccination
Issue:
While Canada's COVID-19 vaccine coverage rates are high, FPT efforts to increase vaccine uptake continue.
Proposed responses:
- Vaccination rates in Canada are high. However, infection among the unvaccinated is a significant risk.
- Since August 2021, rates of hospitalization among unvaccinated people were 26 times higher than fully vaccinated people.
- That is why I will continue to support my provincial and territorial colleagues as we work together to increase rates of vaccination across the country.
- Health Canada is also currently reviewing submissions for the use of booster doses as well as for the use of COVID-19 vaccine in 5-11 year old children.
Mandatory vaccination
Issue:
On October 6, 2021, the Government of Canada announced details of its plan to require COVID-19 vaccinations across the federal public service, as well as for employees and passengers of the federally regulated air, rail and marine transportation sectors.
Proposed responses:
- I look forward to supporting my colleagues in the implementation of the federal vaccine mandate.
- COVID-19 vaccination across the federal public service, federally regulated transport sectors and air and rail passengers are an important part of our COVID-19 response.
Rapid testing
Issue:
As Canada is hit by the fourth wave of COVID-19 pandemic, driven by the Delta variant of concern, the Government of Canada is working with provinces and territories to increase access to rapid testing for detecting, and controlling the spread of, COVID-19 infections.
Proposed responses:
- As vaccines continue to roll out, rapid testing remains an important tool to combat COVID-19 spread.
- Combined with vaccination and existing public health measures, rapid tests help to stop the spread of the virus, keeping Canadian families and communities safe, and schools and businesses open.
- The Government of Canada will continue to engage with territories, provinces, and stakeholders to support community screening by providing rapid tests.
Travel and borders
Issue:
Border measures are based on available data, scientific evidence and monitoring of the epidemiological situation both in Canada and internationally. Effective September 7, 2021, Canada is permitting discretionary travel by fully vaccinated individuals from any country. On October 21, the Government of Canada announced that Canada's proof of vaccination for international travel is now available from most provinces and territories.
Proposed responses:
- I know that travel and border measures are top of mind for many Canadians.
- Recently, the Government of Canada, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, developed a standard proof of vaccine credential that is recognizable to Canadian border officials as well as border officials in other countries. This is available now to most Canadians.
- I look forward to discussing similar and all border measures with officials, with the aim of ensuring our borders are managed in a way that keeps Canadians safe.
F: Key contacts
Prime minister's office switchboard
Tel: 613-992-4211
Minister's office reception
Tel: 613-957-0200
Health Canada
Dr. Stephen Lucas
Deputy Minister
Tel: 613-957-0212
[REDACTED]
Email: stephen.lucas@hc-sc.gc.ca
Heather Jeffrey
Associate Deputy Minister
Tel: 613-954-5904
[REDACTED]
Email: heather.jeffrey@hc-sc.gc.ca
Public Health Agency of Canada
Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar
President
Tel: 613-946-3498
[REDACTED]
Email: harpreet.kochhar@phac-aspc.gc.ca
Dr. Theresa Tam
Chief Public Health Officer
Tel: 613-954-8524
[REDACTED]
Email: theresa.tam@phac-aspc.gc.ca
Kathy Thompson
Executive Vice-President
Tel: 613-957-0277
[REDACTED]
Email: kathy.thompson@phac-aspc.gc.ca
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Dr. Siddika Mithani
President
Tel: 613-773-6000
[REDACTED]
Email: siddika.mithani@inspection.gc.ca
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Dr. Michael J. Strong
President
Tel: 613-954-1808
[REDACTED]
Email: michael.strong@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Catherine MacLeod
Executive Vice-President
Tel: 343-542-1487
Email: catherine.macLeod@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Patented Medicine Prices Review Board
Dr. Mitchell Levine
Chair
Tel: 613-288-9665
[REDACTED]
Email: mitchell.levine@pmprb-cepmb.gc.ca
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