Winter 2005 ONP Newsletter

Government of Canada Appoints First Chief Public Health Officer to Head Public Health Agency of Canada

Delivering on a commitment to help protect the health and safety of Canadians, Prime Minister Paul Martin launched the new Public Health Agency of Canada and announced the appointment of the country's first-ever Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) on September 24, 2004.

Dr. David Butler-Jones, based in Winnipeg , will head the Agency, providing leadership in the federal government's efforts to keep Canadians healthy and ensuring Canada is prepared in the event another serious infectious disease hits our shores.

At the September First Ministers' Meeting, the Prime Minister and Premiers signed a ten-year action plan leading to better health care for all Canadians. The Public Health Agency is an integral part of the federal government's plan to protect and enhance the health of Canadians. Improving the public health system in Canada is key to ensuring the sustainability of the health care system. The creation of the Public Health Agency reinforces the commitments the First Ministers made in the ten-year plan and reflects the high priority that the Prime Minister and the federal government attach to health care reform.

Dr. David Butler-Jones brings an extensive background in public health to this new position. He has most recently served as the Medical Health Officer for Sun Country Health Region and Consulting Medical Officer for the Saskatoon Health Region in Saskatchewan . From 1995 to 2002, he was the Chief Medical Officer of Health for the Province of Saskatchewan .

Dr. Butler-Jones was a member of the National Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health chaired by Dr. David Naylor. The creation of the Agency and this appointment of a Chief Public Health Officer were key recommendations found in the Committee's report, Learning from SARS: Renewal of Public Health in Canada .

Dr. Butler-Jones is looking forward to working closely with the Minister of Health, the Minister of State for Public Health and the Medical Officers of Health from every province and territory to design an effective, coordinated public health system that serves Canadians.

In addition to responding to new public health emergencies and infectious disease outbreaks, the new Public Health Agency of Canada will also be focussed on more effective efforts to prevent chronic diseases, like cancer and heart disease, and to prevent injuries. It will work closely with the provinces and territories to keep Canadians healthy and help reduce pressures on the health care system. Over two-thirds of all deaths in Canada result from four types of chronic diseases. By targeting the causes of these diseases, we can greatly improve the health of Canadians and help to reduce the demand on the health care system.

The Agency will have offices, management, staff and expertise all across Canada and will work with a network of specialized centres across the country to address specific public health issues in Canada . Winnipeg , the location of Canada 's only Level 4 microbiology lab for human health, will become the home of the International Centre for Infectious Diseases (ICID) and it is expected to be a world leader in research, training, commercialization and innovation in addressing the threat and impacts of infectious diseases.

Through the 2004 federal Budget, the Government of Canada committed $665 million in initial funding to strengthen Canada 's public health system. This includes $100 million for increased front-line public health capacity, $300 million to support new vaccine programs and $100 million for improved surveillance systems. Funding of $165 million over two years was also committed for other federal public health initiatives, such as strengthening preparedness against infectious diseases, creating emergency response teams, replenishing the national emergency stockpile system, investing in federal laboratories and surveillance systems and establishing the six National Collaborating Centres for Public Health. Funding for the Agency also includes the $404 million budget being transferred from the Population and Public Health Branch of Health Canada which forms the backbone of the Agency.

For more details concerning the new Public Health Agency of Canada, visit Health Canada 's website at: Health Canada.