Public Health Agency of Canada mandate

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Learn about our responsibilities, mission, vision and core values.

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Mandate

The role of the Public Health Agency of Canada is to:

  • promote health
  • prevent and control chronic diseases and injuries
  • prevent and control infectious diseases
  • prepare for and respond to public health emergencies

We serve as a central point for sharing Canada's expertise with the rest of the world. As such, our role is also to:

  • strengthen public health collaboration between governments
  • facilitate national approaches to public health policy and planning
  • apply international research and development to Canada's public health programs

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Mission and vision

Mission

Improve the health of all people and communities in Canada by addressing public health priorities through science, innovation, service delivery and collaborative action.

Vision

Health, well-being and equity for all people and communities in Canada.

Core values

These 6 core values complement and reinforce those set out in the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector.

  1. Agility: We aim to be an agile public health agency that's prepared to respond to any upcoming threat in a timely manner. It's not enough to be able to adapt to change: we must instead be designed to adapt.
  2. Health equity: We strive to ensure everyone can reach their full health potential. This includes working to remove barriers to access related to social determinants of health, such as race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status.
  3. Integrity: We uphold the value of integrity by prioritizing security, upholding ethical standards, respecting democratic principles and responsibly managing public resources. Transparency and accountability are foundational pillars that underpin effective governance, democracy and trusted communication.
  4. Scientific excellence and a culture of innovation: We'll achieve our mandate through a continued commitment to science excellence and innovation. One of our top priorities is to ensure that public health guidance, programs and policies are grounded in data.
  5. Collaborative leadership: We build relationships with partners to combine our strengths and resources, helping us to solve shared challenges. Although we assume a federal leadership role, we have an equally important role to play as a convener to foster a comprehensive and integrated approach.
  6. Culture of community: We strive to foster a workplace culture where kindness, empathy, support and well-being are prioritized and ingrained in our practices. This contributes to a safe and healthy work environment that promotes collaboration, openness and transparency.

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Major milestones in Public Health (2004-2024)
Figure 1. Text version below.
Text description

This image of a timeline provides examples of major milestones for the Agency, including:

  • 2004: Establishment of the Public Health Agency of Canada
  • 2005: Establishment of the Pan-Canadian Public Health Network
  • 2007: Launch of Health Infobase
  • 2008: Response to Listeriosis Outbreak
  • 2009: Response to Pandemic Influenza H1N1
  • 2013-2014: Ebola outbreak in West Africa: key role in developing Ebola vaccine
  • 2015: PHAC supports resettlement of Syrian refugees
  • 2017-Present: Response to the epidemic of opioid overdoses
  • 2019: Release of Canada's Dementia Strategy
  • 2020-2023: Response to COVID-19 global pandemic
  • 2021-Present: Supports resettlement of Afghan/Ukrainian refugees
  • 2022: Response to Mpox outbreak in Canada
  • 2023: Launch of the 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline
  • 2024: Emergency Response to HPAI A(H5N1)

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