Page 2: Health Canada – 2015-16 – Departmental Performance Report – Minister's Message

Minister's Message

As the Minister of Health, I am pleased to present the 2015-16 Departmental Performance Report for Health Canada. This report highlights how the Department has delivered evidence-based results for Canadians on the government's commitments to help them maintain and improve their health.

Health Canada is leading the engagement with the provinces and territories to develop a new Health Accord, with a focus on prescription drugs, home care, mental health and health innovation. I am happy to say that Accord discussions were formally launched at the Health Ministers' Meeting in January 2016.

A renewed, nation-to-nation relationship with Canada's Indigenous peoples has been the foundation of our work with First Nations during the last fiscal year.

Service delivery to First Nations communities has been enhanced through collaborative efforts with key partners. Initial work with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada has been undertaken to implement Budget 2016 commitments to support improvements in First Nations infrastructure, enhance the Nutrition North Canada Program, and support the monitoring of water quality on-reserve. The Department also continues to work with First Nations, Inuit, provinces and territories to identify and pursue options for improving health outcomes for First Nations and Inuit.

Health Canada has strengthened access, quality and safety of health services to First Nations communities by promoting a better process for hiring nurses in isolated and remote communities as well as putting in place interdisciplinary health teams to support primary care services provided to communities.

Helping Canadians lead healthier lives continued to be a priority for Health Canada in 2015-16. In order to better support Canadians in making healthy food choices, the Department has proposed updated food labels. Building on this work, the Department is also making plans to deliver tougher regulations on sodium and trans fat, to restrict marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children and to develop food labels with more information for Canadians on sugars and food dyes.

The Government of Canada is deeply concerned about the growing number of overdoses and deaths caused by opioid drugs like fentanyl, and is committed to addressing this complex issue. In 2015-16, Health Canada continued to build upon existing partnerships and is building new ones to implement practical, evidence-based actions to reduce problematic opioid use. A major step forward was taken this year when Health Canada announced that the overdose antidote naloxone would be made more widely available to Canadians.

Health Canada is committed to making more health and safety information available to Canadians on the products we regulate. For example, in 2015-16, the Drug and Health Product Inspection Database was launched, which allows Canadians to track how health product makers are following health and safety rules. Health Canada also launched a new pesticide mobile app that gives homeowners and farmers fingertip access to up-to-date health and safety information.

This report incorporates modifications to the existing reporting framework to allow Parliament and Canadians to better monitor our Government's progress on delivering real change to Canadians.

I look forward to moving ahead on my key mandate priorities by continuing to build a culture of collaboration and evidence-based decision-making that will improve the health and safety of all Canadians.

The Honourable Dr. Jane Philpott, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Health

What funds were used?
(Actual Spending)

$3,881,132,152

Who was involved?
(Actual FTEs)

8,740