Public Health Agency of Canada 2014–15 Report on Plans and Priorities

Minister's Message

I am pleased to present the Public Health Agency of Canada's 2014–15 Report on Plans and Priorities. This report outlines the Agency's priorities in support of its mandate to promote and protect the health of Canadians.

The Government of Canada is committed to the health and safety of Canadians. To this end, the Agency will continue to provide national leadership in health promotion and health protection, strengthen public health emergency preparedness and response capacity, and expand public health capacity in Canada by working collaboratively with its partners across jurisdictions and sectors.

The Agency will maintain vigilance against infectious diseases and health threats. It will continue to respond quickly to emerging infectious diseases and work closely with partners to prevent, and rapidly respond to, foodborne illness outbreaks. To assist with this work, the Agency will leverage new technologies for rapid laboratory diagnostics, expand real-time access to, and sharing of, public health information, and pursue leading edge science and technology.

The Agency will build new partnerships to promote healthy living and prevent chronic disease, work with injury prevention organizations to reduce the rate of injuries in Canada, and work with partners to promote positive mental health. The Agency will continue to lead the Family Violence Initiative with a focus on prevention, protection and response.

In 2014–15, the Agency will continue to streamline and improve its operations, including the merged corporate functions and expertise under the shared services partnership approach with Health Canada and promote innovation in program delivery. I am confident that the plans, priorities and programs outlined in this report will provide concrete advancements towards our goal of healthier Canadians and communities.