2024-2025 Departmental plan at a glance: Health Canada

Health Canada provides national leadership to foster sustainable healthcare systems that ensure access for Canadians to appropriate and effective health care, including dental care. This is achieved through partnerships with provincial and territorial governments and support through targeted funding agreements to organizations and key pan-Canadian health partners that are contributing to health system improvements. This is supported by two departmental results.

Departmental results:

1. Canada has modern and sustainable health care systems
2. Canadians have access to appropriate and effective health services

2024-25 Planned spending: $7,555,392,020

2024-25 Planned human resources: 560 full-time equivalents

Plans to achieve results:

• Health Canada will continue to expand access to oral health care through the Canadian Dental Care Plan. This transformative $13 billion investment over 5 years aims to benefit an estimated nine million Canadians without private dental coverage. In 2024-25, the Department will also launch a call for proposals for the Oral Health Access Fund, for projects that reduce barriers to accessing oral health care for priority populations.
• Health Canada will continue to bolster the public healthcare system through the Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians Plan which includes a Government of Canada investment of over $200 billion over 10 years. Provinces and territories have signed bilateral agreements that focus on expanding family health services, supporting the health workforce, improving mental health and substance use services, and modernizing health systems and will report annually on progress. Additional funds include $5.4 billion for Aging with Dignity bilateral agreements and $1.7 billion for increasing personal support workers.
• The Department will continue to work with partners to advance pharmaceutical management strategies so that Canadians have affordable access to the drugs they need. In 2024-25, Health Canada will work to develop the Canadian Drug Agency, designed to make Canada's drug system more sustainable and better prepared for the future. The Department will also advance ongoing efforts related to a Pharmacare Act (not yet in force) and will work with province and territories to develop agreements for the National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases.

More information about Health care systems can be found in the full departmental plan.

Health Canada works with domestic and international partners to assess, manage, and communicate the health and safety risks and benefits associated with health and consumer products, food, chemicals, pesticides, environmental factors, tobacco and vaping products, cannabis, and controlled substances. These risks are managed through rigorous regulatory frameworks and by communicating risks and benefits to Canadians so that they can make informed decisions. This is supported by three departmental results.

Departmental Results:

3. Canadians have access to safe, effective, and quality health products
4. Canadians are protected from unsafe consumer and commercial products and substances
5. Canadians make healthy choices

2024-25 Planned spending: $801,063,755

2024-25 Planned human resources: 6,109 full-time equivalents

Plans to achieve results:

• Health Canada will continue to advance an agile, modern licensing scheme for drugs (prescription and non-prescription) and medical devices in Canada. The Department will also modernize the regulation of clinical trials to increase transparency, advance plans to facilitate a modernized Self-Care Framework, and apply real-world evidence to improve post-market oversight of prescription drugs.
• Health Canada will lead the implementation of the renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy. The Strategy covers a broad range of legal and illegal substances and focuses on prevention and education, substance use services and supports, evidence, and substance controls. Specifically, Health Canada aims to enhance data availability, provide additional support for innovative models, and promote regulatory compliance.
• Following amendments to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act 1999, the Department will conduct ongoing research, monitoring, and risk assessments on chemical substances, develop strategies to replace vertebrate animal testing, and invest in research on plastic additives and microplastics. The Department will also create a more sustainable approach to managing pesticides by making targeted regulatory amendments to enhance protection of human health, the environment, and wildlife from risks posed by pesticides and increasing the transparency of decisions.
• The Department will continue promoting healthy eating by making healthier choices easier for all Canadians by developing healthy eating resources that are inclusive of Canada's diverse population. The Department will also monitor child and teen exposure to food advertising and analyze food supply data to inform future healthy eating initiatives.

More information about Health protection and promotion can be found in the full departmental plan.

Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs.

2024-25 Planned spending: $322,146,749

2024-25 Planned human resources: 2,038 full-time equivalents

Plans to achieve results:

• In support of the 2023-26 Data Strategy for the Federal Public Service and driven by Health Canada's Data Strategy, the Department will advance the strategic use of data as an asset to support decision-making with the goal of building a digital-first organization.
• Health Canada is committed to building a healthy, diverse, and inclusive workforce. In 2024-25, the Department will continue to advance its 2022-25 Accessibility Plan, for example by developing clear performance indicators to measure improvements to accessibility, to meet the Government of Canada's goal to make Canada barrier free by 2040.

More information about Internal services can be found in the full departmental plan.