Interim Chief Public Health Officer

Dr. Howard Njoo has over 30 years of experience working across all levels of government in Canada as a public health physician and medical epidemiologist, as well as being a front line clinician.

At the federal government level, Dr. Njoo has played a key role in the management of infectious disease outbreaks in Canada, such as SARS and H1N1, while also focusing on eliminating tuberculosis, addressing sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections, and reducing the burden of antimicrobial resistance. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, he was a key federal government spokesperson communicating to Canadians in both official languages

Dr. Njoo has also been a strong advocate for non communicable diseases prevention and health promotion, having been involved in tobacco control and lung health initiatives and advancing health equity through a social determinants lens.

In addition, Dr. Njoo has extensive international health experience, including deployments to Haiti post earthquake and to Guinea for the Ebola outbreak, as well as multiple missions for Joint External Evaluations for the International Health Regulations. He currently is an expert consultant to the WHO as the vice chair of the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework Advisory Group.