Public Health Agency of Canada’s 2024–25 Departmental Plan at a glance

A departmental plan describes a department's priorities, plans and associated costs for the upcoming three fiscal years.

• Vision, mission, raison d'être and operating context
• Minister of Health's mandate letter
• Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health's mandate letter
• Minister of Sport and Physical Activity's mandate letter

On this page

• Key priorities
• Refocusing Government Spending
• Highlights
  • Core responsibility 1: Health promotion and chronic disease prevention
  • Core responsibility 2: Infectious disease prevention and control
  • Core responsibility 3: Health security

Key priorities

• Support the mental health of people in Canada and suicide prevention efforts
• Promote optimal health in aging and support those affected by dementia
• Support autistic Canadians, their families and caregivers
• Improve understanding of substance use and prevent substance-related harms
• Support positive early development and stronger beginnings for people in Canada
• Prevent and address family and gender-based violence, and promote healthy living and prevent and manage chronic disease
• Promote physical activity as a fundamental element of health and well-being and encourage all Canadians, especially children and youth, to integrate and increase physical activity in their daily lives
• Prepare for and respond to infectious disease outbreaks, pandemics and other public health emergencies
• Continue international and domestic work to prevent outbreaks and resurgence of diseases, reduce the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance and the health impacts of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections
• Advance data and information management in public health, lead science and innovation and build system capacity, and build on a foundation of science
• Reduce health and safety risks associated with the use of pathogens and toxins
• Monitor, mitigate, and address public health risks related to travel
• Continue to build a healthy, diverse, and inclusive workforce
• Modernize financial and corporate management services

Refocusing Government Spending

In Budget 2023, the government committed to reducing spending by $14.1 billion over the next five years, starting in 2023–24, and by $4.1 billion annually after that.

As part of meeting this commitment, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is planning the following spending reductions.

• 2024-25: $13,218,000
• 2025-26: $19,027,000
• 2026-27 and after: $27,642,000

PHAC will achieve spending reductions through the following:

• $15.8M by FY 2026-27 through operational adjustments to improve efficiency as well as through the continued ramp-down from PHAC's peak pandemic posture. This will include a multi-pronged approach to better streamline service delivery models; optimize the use of innovative and hybrid tools/methodologies; and right-size programs originally stood up to respond to the pandemic to better reflect current operational needs outside of an emergency state.
• $5.6M by FY 2026-27 through targeted reductions to existing grants and contributions programs. This will include: sunsetting of programs that demonstrated lower effectiveness; ensuring proportional reductions to programs based on overall program size and availability of alternate sources of funding where possible; as well as reductions to select programs to minimize stakeholder impacts.
• $6.2M by FY 2026-27 to meet travel and professional services reduction targets. Travel reductions will be based on an average of both pre-pandemic and post-pandemic travel expenditures.

The plans identified above include reductions in internal services spending for corporate functions such as human resources, real property, security communications, information technology, financial and material management as well as audit and evaluation. PHAC will also seek cost efficiencies through streamlining the use of digital platforms, decommissioning old technology, increasing automation where possible, and through the consolidation of some corporate services.

Spending reductions have been informed by an analysis of program effectiveness and efficiency. As such, proposed reductions are not anticipated to create future service delivery or program integrity pressures and programs and are in alignment with PHAC's mandate and future vision

The figures in this departmental plan reflect these reductions.

Highlights

A Departmental Results Framework consists of an organization's core responsibilities, the results it plans to achieve, and the performance indicators that measure progress toward these results.

Core responsibility 1: Health promotion and chronic disease prevention

Departmental results:

• Result 1.1 Canadians have improved physical and mental health
• Result 1.2 Canadians have improved health behaviours
• Result 1.3 Chronic diseases are prevented

Planned spending: $396,402,964

Planned human resources: 648

The Agency will continue to prioritize the mental health of people in Canada with a focus on suicide prevention, and will work towards preventing substance-related harms. In 2024-25, PHAC will:

• conduct a nation-wide Parental Experience Survey with Statistics Canada on Canadians' mental health, access to mental health services, and other key issues;
• continue to support and monitor the implementation of the 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline, and lead development of a National Suicide Prevention Action Plan;
• strengthen the evidence base on Canada's drug toxicity crisis to inform the development of public health guidance for health professionals; and
• support schools with the implementation of best practices to prevent substance-related harms among youth.

PHAC will continue to support healthy aging with the goal of improving the quality of life for older adults. This work includes promoting good health and independence, increasing knowledge on dementia, and raising awareness on risk and protective factors. For example, PHAC will:

• continue to promote the implementation of the Age Friendly Communities initiative to help older adults live safely and stay involved;
• continue to fund the Enhanced Dementia Surveillance Initiative, to address key data gaps for policy and program development.

PHAC remains committed to enhancing public health surveillance efforts and obtaining evidence to inform the National Autism Strategy. To advance concussion prevention, detection, and management, PHAC will continue to support Parachute, a national injury prevention organization, and their work to update concussion resources, protocols and tools.

In continued support of the implementation of the IELCC Framework with Indigenous rights holders and partners and the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care (IELCC) system, PHAC is focused on strengthening and advancing the Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities program, which aims to provide high-quality, culturally responsive, early learning programming for Indigenous children living off-reserve in urban and northern communities.

As healthy living serves as a protective factor for chronic disease, the Agency is committed to funding community-based projects to address behavioural risk factors, including physical inactivity, unhealthy eating, and tobacco use. PHAC will continue to support organizations fostering healthy relationships and preventing child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, and mistreatment of older adults, including a series of new interventions to prevent youth dating violence.

More information about core responsibility 1: Health promotion and chronic disease prevention can be found in the full departmental plan.

Core responsibility 2: Infectious disease prevention and control 

Departmental results:

• Result 2.1 Infectious diseases are prevented and controlled
• Result 2.2 Infectious disease outbreaks and threats are prepared for and responded to effectively

Planned spending: $1,032,945,934

Planned human resources:  2,081

PHAC will continue to support the Government of Canada's commitment to keeping Canadians safe and healthy and is working to make evidence available to understand and appropriately respond to the public health impacts of the pandemic (e.g., Post COVID-19 Condition [PCC]) while preventing and controlling the spread of infectious diseases and preparing for future health emergencies. The use of aggregate public health data will inform decision making including improving the Agency's ability to detect, understand, and act on public health risks.

In 2024-25, PHAC will continue to enhance monitoring of trends and mitigate impacts of antimicrobial resistance in health institutions, communities, and the environment while using Canadian expertise to develop and strengthen international collaboration in the application of a One Health approach. This includes designing and implementing a pilot project to secure access to new antimicrobials for people living in Canada. PHAC will further develop and strengthen collaborative partnerships to develop guidelines accessible in real-time, implement targeted education and awareness campaigns, promote change, and monitor interventions. The Agency will also accelerate efforts to meet the World Health Organization's global Sexually Transmitted and Blood-borne Infections (STBBI) targets to reduce the incidence of STBBI in Canada, and to support access to testing, treatment, and ongoing care and support.

Recognizing that integrated public health data is critical to the effective operation of public health surveillance systems that inform timely responses to public health events, PHAC will advance public health surveillance and the sharing of research. In 2024-25, PHAC will:

• drive progress toward commitments made under the FPT Joint Action Plan on Health Data and Digital Health;
• meaningfully engage and collaborate with Indigenous rights holders and partners to meet its commitments under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan;
• develop strategies to improve the health data literacy of people in Canada and enhance public trust in PHAC's collection, sharing, analysis and use of public health data;
• continue to advance its Open Science Action Plan commitments to make public health data and research open by design and by default;
• integrate epidemiology and laboratory surveillance of COVID-19 with other respiratory disease surveillance to identify threats earlier and with greater efficiency; and
• expand and strengthen public health surveillance systems to help transform how public health decisions are made and support the ability of people in Canada to make informed health decisions.

The pandemic response demonstrated the value of timely science advice in informing public health guidance and practice. The Agency will leverage innovations and build on scientific advancements to prepare for future public health risks and enable public health actions.

PHAC will work to position itself as a key collaborator, convenor, and leader on climate action and support efforts that prepare for health risks associated with climate-sensitive infectious diseases. PHAC will improve its ability to further reduce infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics from emerging, re-emerging and ongoing zoonotic threats, and improve the effectiveness of responses by:

• continuing to work with federal partners, provinces, territories, Indigenous rights holders and partners, other stakeholders, and communities to integrate a climate-health lens into public health functions, tools, and interventions;
• reducing the impact of foodborne illness outbreaks by conducting disease surveillance, detecting and responding to outbreaks and providing advice to protect health;
• refocusing efforts towards tuberculosis elimination and addressing its impact on individuals, families and communities;
• developing processes and methodologies to monitor, evaluate and report ongoing and emerging infectious disease threats in Canada and abroad; and
• incorporating lessons learned and reviewing the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Planning Guidance for the Health Sector (CPIP) to inform development of a Canadian Pandemic Preparedness Plan.

More information about core responsibility 2: Infectious disease prevention and control can be found in the full departmental plan.

Core responsibility 3: Health security

Departmental results:

• Result 3.1 Public health events and emergencies are prepared for and responded to effectively
• Result 3.2 Public health risks associated with the use of pathogens and toxins are reduced
• Result 3.3 Public health risks associated with travel are reduced

Planned spending: $284,433,537

Planned human resources: 754

PHAC will maintain a robust preparedness and response posture to address new and emerging threats with the support and collaboration of other government departments, provinces and territories, academia and other stakeholders. In 2024-25, the Agency will:

• maintain and strengthen the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile response capabilities;
• address recommendations relating to public health intelligence made by the Independent Review of the Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN) and the Auditor General (OAG) 2021 Report #8 on Pandemic Preparedness, Surveillance, and Border Control Measures;
• strengthen emergency preparedness by leveraging lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and maintaining a trained public health emergency workforce; and
• continue to strengthen its emergency response by bolstering emergency management operations and enhancing capacity for surge support.

PHAC will continue to monitor and strengthen compliance with the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act and Regulations (HPTA/R) to meet the demands of Canada's growing biomanufacturing and life sciences sector. The Agency will reduce public health risks associated with the use of pathogens and toxins by:

• enhancing engagement with laboratories in Canada working or intending to work with human pathogens and toxins;
• strengthening regulatory oversight; and
• continuing to work with international partners to strengthen global health security.

PHAC will continue to monitor and mitigate the communicable disease health risks related to travel. In 2024-25, the Agency will:

• continue to administer and enforce the Quarantine Act for international travelers entering or in the process of departing from Canada to prevent the introduction and spread of communicable diseases;
• provide science-based travel health advice for outbound travellers on the Government of Canada's Travel and tourism website;
• provide evidence-based travel health guidance for healthcare professionals on the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and other health hazards; and
• conduct inspections to reduce public health risks on conveyances.

More information about core responsibility 3: Health security can be found in the full departmental plan.

Internal services

Planned spending: $154,724,825

Planned human resources:  591

Building a healthy, diverse, and inclusive workplace is essential to delivering on the Agency's commitments to people in Canada. In 2024-25, PHAC will:

• continue work to attract and retain a representative workforce by using practices intended to reduce bias and barriers in recruitment and advancing strategies and programs to embed equity, diversity and inclusion;
• continue to advance the Agency's Indigenous reconciliation approach, including implementing the Indigenous Cultural Competency Training Policy and Roadmap and developing an Indigenous engagement strategy; and
• nurture workplace mental health and wellness through the implementation of the Mental Health and Wellness Strategy.

To provide timely, trusted, and evidence-based information to people in Canada, the Agency will:

• continue the development, implementation, and management of a flexible data infrastructure to meet the diverse operational needs of PHAC programs;
• advance its behavioural science research activities which will lead to more accurately defined and prioritized public health risks;
• renew the 2019 PHAC Data Strategy, leveraging lessons learned from the pandemic; and
• work towards transparency, openness and collaboration in Agency science, with the intention of releasing PHAC's inaugural Science Strategy and launching the Federal Open Science Repository of Canada to make the latest scientific evidence more accessible.

The Agency will reinforce Canada's continued global leadership in health by advancing domestic and international health policy priorities. This includes active participation in multilateral health fora, such as negotiating or implementing the amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005) and the new WHO convention ("Pandemic Instrument") on pandemic preparedness and response.

The Agency will also undertake key initiatives to modernize its financial and corporate management services. In 2024-25, PHAC will:

• re-stabilize operations in the post-pandemic context by strengthening financial budgeting, resource allocation and business planning to enable sound stewardship of funds;
• manage and mitigate the updated corporate risks and determine how to leverage its resources in the post-pandemic operating context;
• streamline processes and innovative tools to ensure strong management of Grant and Contribution program delivery; and
• modernize its approach for the delivery of business administration services by streamlining, standardizing and aligning the administrative services foundation with the Agency's programming.

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