Deputy Ministerial Briefing Book

Table of contents

• 1. Health Canada Overview
• 2. Health Policy Branch
• 3. Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch
• 4. Health Products and Food Branch
• 5. Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch
• 6. Pest Management Regulatory Agency
• 7. Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch
• 8. Oral Health Branch
• 9. Digital Transformation Branch
• 10. Chief Financial Officer Branch
• 11. Corporate Services Branch
• 12. Communications and Public Affairs Branch
• 13. Office of Audit and Evaluation
• 14. Legal Services Unit
• Legislation and Decision Making in the Health Portfolio
  • 15. Legislation
  • 16. Overview of legislative and regulatory responsibilities
  • 17. Regulatory oversight of products
  • 18. Scientific Research in the Health Portfolio
  • 19. Departmental governance
• Indigenous/Federal/Provincial/Territorial Relations
  • 20. Federal, Provincial, Territorial and Indigenous (FPTI) Relations
  • 21. List of Provincial / Territorial Ministers and Deputy Ministers Responsible for Health
  • 22. Overview of Indigenous Health
• Relationships with Health System Players
  • 23. Relationships with Health System Players
  • 24. Other Key Players and Stakeholders in Health
  • 25. Relationships with the International Community –US/Can Relations and International Relations
• 26. Issues for Early Attention
• 27. Governor in Council Appointments

1. Health Canada overview

Health Canada's vision is to help make Canada's population among the healthiest in the world.

From coast to coast to coast, Health Canada employees - scientists and researchers, inspectors, doctors and nurses, policy analysts, administrative professionals, and many others - are working to help Canadians maintain and improve their health.

As a partner in health, Health Canada:

• Protects Canadians from unsafe food, health and consumer products;
• Promotes innovation in health care;
• Manages risks to health; and
• Informs Canadians so they can make healthy choices.

In addition to working closely with provincial and territorial governments, we also work with partners in the Health Portfolio, other federal departments and agencies, non-governmental organizations, Indigenous partners, other countries, and the private sector.

Health Canada's Roles

• Supporting Canada's health care system through administration of the Canada Health Act, support on emerging issues, and cooperation with provinces and territories on health system priorities.
• Enabling access to safe and effective health products by assessing and regulating health products, such as drugs and medical devices, to ensure their quality, safety, and effectiveness.
• Managing the health risks of health products, food, harmful substances, cannabis, tobacco, controlled substances, consumer products, cosmetics, chemicals, radiation. and pesticides, and reducing environmental health risks such as extreme weather events.
• Supporting Canadians in making safe and healthy choices through public education and awareness campaigns to communicate health and safety information.

How the federal government can act in health:

• Legislation and regulation;
• Leadership / convening power;
• Research, surveillance, and monitoring;
• Policy development, engagement, and advice;
• Public awareness and engagement;
• Program and service delivery; and
• Funding

Health Canada's Roles: Supporting Canada's Health Care System

• Administers and ensures compliance with the Canada Health Act (e.g., public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability, accessibility, and no patient charges).
• Works with provinces and territories to improve Canada's health care system and oversees bilateral funding agreements (e.g., Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians, supporting health workforce, improving access to family health services, helping Canadians age with dignity and closer to home, improving access to mental health and substance use services, modernizing the health care system with standardized health data and digital tools).
• Ensures that Canadians have access to appropriate and effective health services.
• To address significant health workforce challenges, the federal government developed and is working on advancing a strategy with provinces, territories and other health partners prioritizing retention, recruitment, workforce planning and systemic modernization, including supporting internationally educated health professionals.
• Effective health services include mental health supports, which the Health Portfolio supports by funding PTs and pan-Canadian health organizations, funding for community services, collaboration and engagement with PTs and partners and supporting research and surveillance activities,
• Health Canada also supports development of national standards and policies for health data and digital health, while convening PTs, vendors, and other stakeholders to drive pan-Canadian collaboration and coherence for the digital health sector (e.g., supporting access to dental care services, medical assistance in dying, improving access to sexual and reproductive health services, supporting organs, tissues and blood program).
• Advances the affordability, accessibility, and appropriate use of prescription drugs, including working towards national pharmacare.
• Provides advice and supports pan-Canadian initiatives in new and emerging areas of health care (e.g., funding eight pan-Canadian health organizations), including managing federal health grants and contributions programs supporting health system priorities, such as mental health, health data, and health workforce, and minority official language communities.

Health Canada's Roles: Enabling Access to Safe and Effective Health Products

• Provides regulatory oversight through pre-market review and authorization, and post-market risk assessments (e.g., vaccines, drugs, biologics, medical devices, and veterinary drugs).
• Ensures that appropriate regulatory pathways are available to bring treatment options to Canadians (e.g., special access programs for critical drugs not sold in Canada).
• Leads scientific and technical analysis of health product submissions to ensure the safety, efficacy and quality of approved drugs.
• Oversees clinical trials conducted by industry and academics to ensure the protection of participants and the integrity of the data and advance health research through the modernization of the clinical trials regulatory framework.
• Monitors health and consumer product safety and adverse events arising from real-world use and communicates risks to Canadians.
• Optimizes the use of real-world evidence for regulatory decision-making to improve the extent and rate of access to medical products in Canada.
• Works in collaboration with stakeholders to mitigate and prevent shortages of therapeutic products.

Health Canada's Roles: Managing Risks to Health

• Sets health and safety standards and regulates a variety of products through pre- and/or post-market risk assessments based on level of risk for items such as cosmetics, health products, food, chemicals, radiation, and pesticides.
• Takes compliance and enforcement action related to acts and regulations administered by Health Canada.
• Provides information to Canadians to make informed decisions on their health (e.g., food safety practices, recalls, product seizures, rules for clear and legible product labels, mandated health warnings and information on tobacco and vaping products, and drug shortages).
• Conducts research, monitoring, and surveillance on environmental health and the health impacts of extreme weather events (e.g., lead in paint, exposure to radiation sources).
• Oversees the legal cannabis regime (e.g., grants licences for production, coordinates with federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) partners, and monitors and enforces compliance).
• Develops and implements strategies to respond to issues related to certain products and substances (e.g., tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, opioids).
• Maintains readiness to respond to public health threats and emergencies (e.g., federal nuclear emergency plan, extreme weather events, chemical safety).

Health Canada's Roles: Supporting Canadians in Making Safe and Healthy Choices

• Works with domestic and international partners to assess, manage and communicate the regulation of health products and benefits associated with various products (e.g., cosmetics, food, chemicals, radiation, pesticides, cannabis, controlled substances, and environmental factors).
• Builds public education and awareness on health topics such as substance use, overdose crisis, mental health, cannabis use, smoking cessation, vaping and childhood vaccination through creative advertising and marketing campaigns to minimize health and safety risks.
• Supports Canadians in making healthier food choices through the Canada Food Guide and other healthy eating initiatives.
• Informs and engages Canadians as a trusted source of information on health and safety (e.g., operating 12 social media accounts across various platforms that have more than 2 million followers combined; air quality index).
• Works with FPT partners to ensure workers have the right safety information to protect themselves when using workplace hazardous products.

Health Canada's Key Partners

Health Canada operates in a complex and dynamic environment where many health challenges require a multi-jurisdictional approach. The department works collaboratively and collectively with federal partners, provinces and territories (P/Ts), Indigenous organizations, industry, and international regulators.

Health Portfolio Partners

• Public Health Agency of Canada
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• Patented Medicine Prices Review Board

Provincial and Territorial Governments

• Multilateral and bilateral engagement (including annual FPT Health Ministers' meetings and the Pan-Canadian Public Health Network)

Health System Partners

• Eight pan-Canadian health organizations (e.g., Canadian Institute for Health Information
• National non-governmental organizations (health professional associations, regulatory and accreditation authorities, disease-specific organizations)

Industry / Consumer Groups

• Private sector enterprises (including manufacturers, distributors, and retailers)
• Industry associations
• Consumer groups
• Standards development organizations (e.g., CSA Group)

Indigenous Partners

• National and regional First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners
• Indigenous health professional organizations

Federal Departments and Agencies

• Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
• Public Safety/Canada Border Services Agency/ Department of Justice/ Department of Defence/ Indigenous Services Canada
• Employment and Social Development Canada/Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada /Global Affairs Canada
• Finance Canada/Treasury Board

International Partners

• Multilateral fora (e.g., World Health Organization, Pan-American Health Organization, United Nations)
• Bilateral relationships with key partners and regions (e.g., U.S. Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency, and Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration)

Health Canada Organizational Chart

• Shalene Curtis-Micallef, Deputy Minister of Health
• Jo Voisin, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister Health Policy Branch (HPB)
  Sarah Lawley, Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Policy Branch (HPB)
• Kendal Weber, Assistant Deputy Minister Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch (CSCB)
• Linsey Hollett, Assistant Deputy Minister Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch (ROEB)
• Ryan Higgs, A/Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer Chief Financial Officer Branch (CFOB)
• Lynne Réné de Côtret, Assistant Deputy Minister Oral Health Branch (OHB)
• Matt Jones, A/Assistant Deputy Minister Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA)
• Pamela Aung-Thin, Assistant Deputy Minister Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB)
• Celia Lourenco, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB)
• Matthew Jones, Assistant Deputy Minister Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch (HECSB)
• Supriya Sharma Chief Medical Advisor
• Valerie Taylor, Departmental Science Advisor

Health Portfolio shared services

• François Nadeau, Executive Director and Senior General Counsel Legal Services
• Todd Cain, Assistant Deputy Minister Corporate Services Branch (CSB)
• Shaifa Kanji, Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Digital Transformation Officer Digital Transformation Branch (DTB)
• Cathy Allison, Assistant Deputy Minister Communications and Public Affairs Branch (CPAB)
• Sylvie Richard, A/Ombud and Executive Director Centre for Ombuds, Resolution and Ethics (CORE)
• Abdilahi (Abdi) Roble, Audit and Evaluation Executive Office of Evaluation & Audit (OAE)^{Footnote a}

Health Canada 2025-26 Financial Overview

• Health care systems $10,947M; 613 FTEs
• Health promotion and protection $938M; 6,417 FTEs
• Internal services $433M; 2,099 FTEs
• Vote 1 operating $5,933M (includes $4,933M for dental SPA)
• Vote 5 capital $36.8M; statutory $328M
• Vote 10 $6,020M transfer payments (grants and contributions)
• Total resources 9,129 FTEs; total budget$12,318M

Notes:

• The above 2025-26 budgets are up to and including supplementary estimates 'B' (includes statutory items and excludes SSC and accommodation costs).
• Internal services includes corporate services, communications, finance and legal services.
• Totals may not add due to rounding.

Annex A: Health Canada Branches

Health Policy Branch (HPB): Jo Voisin and Sarah Lawley

As the strategic policy hub within the department, the mandate of HPB is to:

• Administer the Canada Health Act, supporting Canada's universal public health care;
• Provide policy leadership to strengthen Canada's health system, working closely with provinces and territories (PTs), Indigenous partners, pan-Canadian health organizations, other government departments and stakeholders;
• Administer a wide range of grants and contribution programs to support health care; and
• Provide a focal point for support to the Minister and Deputy Minister for the portfolio for strategic policy, engagement with PTs and Indigenous partners, as well as international engagement (shared services with PHAC).

Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch (CSCB): Kendal Weber

CSCB's mandate is to reduce or prevent the harms associated with the use of substances in Canada (cannabis, tobacco/vaping products, and controlled substances). The branch works towards this mandate by:

• Controlling and regulating substances, based on high-quality scientific research (under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Cannabis Act and Tobacco and Vaping Products Act);
• Taking a comprehensive public health approach to substance use, and addressing emerging challenges; and
• Providing information about substance use to help Canadians make informed decisions about their health.

Oral Health Branch (OHB): Lynne Rene de Côtret

• OHB's mandate is aimed at enhancing access to oral health services and improving the overall well-being of Canadians. The branch's key responsibility includes overseeing and designing operations of the Canadian Dental Care Plan and Oral Health Access Fund to ensure the effective delivery of these programs to Canadians.

Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB): Pamela Aung-Thin and Celia Lourenco

• HPFB's mandate is to minimize health risk factors to Canadians while maximizing the safety of health products and food through the administration of the Food and Drugs Act and its related regulations, policies, and guidance. This includes reviewing and authorizing, evaluating and monitoring the safety, quality and efficacy of health products including drugs, medical devices, biologic and genetic therapies, and natural health products; foods and veterinary drugs; and developing, promoting and implementing nutrition and food policies and standards and providing timely, evidence-based and authoritative information to allow healthy and informed decisions.

Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch (ROEB): Linsey Hollett

• ROEB's mission is to be a compliance and enforcement (C&E) leader that uses post-market regulatory oversight to protect the people of Canada from health risks associated with products, substances, and their environment. ROEB works with regulated parties to promote compliance with the regulations so they may operate in Canada, helping to facilitate legitimate commerce.

Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch (HECSB): Matt Jones

• HECS helps people maintain and improve their health by reducing risks from a variety of sources, including: air pollution, climate change, drinking water, exposure to hazardous products in workplace, chemicals, radiation, consumer products and cosmetics, and significant events that pose human health risks (e.g., chemical and nuclear emergencies, wildfires, extreme heat). HECSB's core business lines are designed to manage and mitigate these risks to human health.

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA): Matt Jones (Acting)

• PMRA is the federal authority responsible for regulating pest control products in Canada, under the Pest Control Products Act. The primary objective is to prevent unacceptable risks to individuals and the environment from the use of pesticides. PMRA also aims to support sustainable development; facilitate access to products that area lower risk; encourage public awareness; ensure only products of value are approved.

Chief Financial Officer Branch (CFOB): Ryan Higgs

• CFOB ensures sound stewardship of resources, supports the achievement of results, and provides integrated financial services through a team of innovative, competent and client-focused employees. It includes financial operations, resource management and advisory services, departmental submissions and performance measurement, procurement and investment management.

Shared Services with PHAC

Communications and Public Affairs Branch (CPAB): Cathy Allison

• Providing a broad range of strategic communications services, including issues management, crisis and risk communications planning and delivery, media services, ministerial media events, speechwriting, digital communications including web publishing and social media channel management, video and creative services, marketing and advertising, as well as services for public opinion research, consultations and stakeholder engagement.

Legal Services Unit (LSU): François Nadeau

• Health Legal Services, which is part of the Department of Justice, provides support to Health Canada, PHAC, and CIHR. Legal Services contributes to the work of the Health Portfolio by playing a key role in the development, interpretation, and application of the legislative framework for which the Minister of Health is responsible; playing a key role in identifying and managing the legal risks inherent in HC, PHAC and CIHR activities; and defending in court the actions and decisions of HC, PHAC, CIHR officials.

Corporate Services Branch (CSB): Todd Cain

• CSB's work focuses on excellence in the delivery of services, advice, and solutions to advance the mandates of HC and PHAC. In an ever-changing context, CSB seeks to optimize workforce operations and organizational effectiveness, and foster an inclusive, psychologically healthy, accessible, bilingual, modern and safe workplace. Files include human resources, talent and workplace culture, real property and security, corporate policy planning, and specialized health services.

Digital Transformation Branch (DTB): Shaifa Kanji

• The Digital Transformation Branch (DTB) is the enterprise IT and digital services provider for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada under a shared services partnership. DTB enables consistent service delivery by providing information management, IT Projects, AI, IT services, data science, and cyber security services across both organizations. Through modernized operations and strengthened internal capabilities, DTB is laying the foundation to deliver more reliable services and further establish itself as a trusted partner.

Office of Audit and Evaluation (OAE): Abdillahi (Abdi) Roble

• The office conducts independent and objective audits and provide assurance to the Deputy Minister at Health Canada and the President at PHAC on the effectiveness of governance, risk management and internal control processes. On a five-year cycle, the office conducts evaluations which provide credible, timely, neutral evidence to support government accountability and senior management decision-making on policy, expenditure management, and program improvements.

2. Health Policy Branch (HPB)

Key points – Health Policy Branch

As a strategic policy hub within the department, the mandate of the Health Policy Branch is to:

• Administer the Canada Health Act, supporting Canada's universal public health care;
• provide policy leadership to strengthen Canada's health system, working closely with provinces and territories (PTs), Indigenous partners, pan-Canadian health organizations, other government departments and stakeholders;
• Administer a wide range of grants and contribution programs to support health care; and
• Provide focal point for support to the Minister and Deputy Minister for the portfolio for strategic policy, engagement with PTs and Indigenous partners, as well as international engagement (shared services with PHAC).

HPB's priorities include:

• Access to care: health funding agreements, health workforce; AI/digital health and health system data; health infrastructure; and health care needs in the Arctic and Northern Canada
• Pharmaceuticals: US policy response; drugs for rare diseases; pharmacare
• Mental health: Integrated Youth Services; mental health of young men and boys
• Population health care: medical assistance in dying; sexual and reproductive health; women's and men's health

HPB is the lead for almost half of indicators in the Departmental Results Framework and two-thirds of actions in the Mission Action Plan.

To support this work, the branch oversees a total budget of $5.8 billion which includes $5.79 billion in grants and contribution funding, and $51.5 million in salary and operating and maintenance.

Key functions and guidelines – HPB

• Administration and implementation of federal statutory and legal obligations
• Policy leadership and health system priorities
• Strategic coordination and ministerial support to assist in effective decision-making

Administration and Implementation of Federal Obligations

HPB administers federal Acts and legal obligations related to national health care priorities. This includes:

A. Administering the Canada Health Act:

• HPB administers the Canada Health Act by monitoring PT compliance; recommending appropriate action to address non-compliance; reporting annually to Parliament; and interpreting the Canada Health Act as the health care system evolves.

B. Supporting Canada's Health System Financing:

• Works with Finance Canada by providing research, data analysis and modelling to support the Canada health transfer, the largest federal transfer to provinces and territories.
• Negotiates and oversees bilateral agreements with provinces and territories (e.g., 2023 "Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians" federal health funding; Aging with Dignity; Territorial Health Investment Fund; and bilateral agreements related to the national strategy for drugs for rare diseases)
• Key priority: Over the coming months, the renewal of 13 "Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians" bilateral agreements will be a key area of focus to ensure the continuation of a collaborative approach with PTs to improving health services across Canada.

C. Canadian Thalidomide Survivors Support Program:

• The objectives of this program are to ensure that survivors receive ongoing tax-free payments and have transparent and timely access to the extraordinary medical assistance fund.

D. Pharmacare Act:

• The Pharmacare Act outlines an approach to future discussions on prescription drug coverage with PTs, Indigenous peoples, and other partners; information gathering; and a coverage standard for a range of diabetes and contraception drugs and devices.
• The Government of Canada has reached agreements with Manitoba, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon to provide free, universal, single-payer access to a range of contraceptives and diabetes medications.

E. Medical Assistance in Dying:

• HPB provides policy advice and works closely with Justice Canada on the litigation related to the federal MAID framework, as well as development of federal approaches, legislation, and associated regulations (e.g., for data collection and reporting).
• HPB also works closely with PTs and stakeholders to support the safe and appropriate implementation of MAID in Canada. It also collects and reports on data on the number and circumstances of MAID requests and provisions annually.

Policy Leadership and Health System Priorities

Leads the development of effective policy and program responses to priority, emerging, and cross-cutting health issues with the objective of providing evidence-based information and health policy advice. Key areas of priorities include:

A. Pharmaceuticals

• HPB leads the national strategy for drugs for rare diseases; advises on pharmaceutical pricing and tariffs, and Target Zero Initiative with Canada's Drug Agency to improve access to approved drugs.
• HPB is leading on establishing a pharmaceutical competitiveness task force which would aim to foster collaboration with industry and identify opportunities to increase attractiveness of Canada for pharmaceutical investment.

B. Digital Health and Health Data

• HPB is advancing pan-Canadian efforts to improve how health data is collected, shared and used to ensure Canadians have access to health records, improve access to care, reduce administrative burden and support opportunities to leverage AI in Canada's health care.

C. Health Research

• HPB works closely with ISED and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to modernize the research ecosystem and incentivize research talent to stay in Canada.

D. Access to Care

• HPB is working with partners to support training and retention of health workforce, advancing mutual recognition of health professional credentials to increase labour mobility in health care system, accelerate foreign credential recognition, and improve health workforce data to support planning.
• HPB leads the management of 13 bilateral funding agreements with PTs to improve health care through working together, aging with dignity and home and community care.

E. Mental Health

• Through the Youth Mental Health Fund, HPB plays a critical role by providing funding to PTs and community organizations for programs such as Integrated Youth Services and supporting interjurisdictional collaboration to advance effective and equitable mental health policies and practice.

F. Budget 2025 Priorities

• HPB is working with HICC to support the creation of a Health Infrastructure Fund and with DND to assess the health care needs of the Arctic and the North.

G. Ministerial Priorities

• HPB is supporting ministerial priorities focused on men's health, women's health in context of Bill S-243 – an Act to establish a National Framework on Women's Health in Canada and establishing a national strategy for eye care in response to the National Strategy for Eye Care Act.

H. Grants and Contributions

HPB manages a wide array of grants and contributions programs in support of key health care priorities, such as:

• Health Care Policy and Strategies Program
• Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund
• Official Languages Health Program
• Funding for blood research to Canadian Blood Services
• Canadian Thalidomide Survivors Support Program
• Youth Mental Health Fund

HPB manages funding and relationships for eight Pan-Canadian Health Organizations:

• Canadian Institute for Health Information;
• Canadian Partnership Against Cancer;
• Canada Health Infoway;
• Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction;
• Canada's Drug Agency;
• Mental Health Commission of Canada;
• Healthcare Excellence Canada; and
• Health Workforce Canada.

Strategic Coordination and Ministerial Support to Assist in Effective Decision-Making

A. Provides Advice to Minister and Deputy Minister on Cabinet and Parliamentary Affairs

• Provides leadership at the departmental level to enhance support Ministers in their role on Cabinet committees, including coordinating the portfolio's Cabinet agenda.
• Advises on the development of memoranda to Cabinet and other Cabinet submissions.
• Coordinates all departmental activities in support of the Minister's parliamentary obligations including committee appearances, parliamentary returns, and QP notes, written questions and petitions and committee appearances.
• Serves as a centre of expertise on all cabinet and parliamentary matters.

B. Strategic Policy and Portfolio Affairs

• Coordinates the federal budget process and leads the development of a budget package for the Health Portfolio.
• Leads the development of Minister's mandate commitments (e.g., Mission Action Plan) for the Health Portfolio and monitors progress on mandate commitments.
• Leads the medium-term planning process for the Health Portfolio, working with partners across the Health Portfolio.

C. Federal, Provincial, Territorial and Indigenous Relations (FPTIR)

Serves as the Departmental focal point for IFPT engagement to advance federal health priorities. Within this context, HPB:

• Provides policy coordination, and secretariat support for meetings of the FPT Ministers of Health, and Deputy Ministers of Health.
• Provides policy advice and support for bilateral engagement at the Deputy and Ministerial level with their provincial and territorial counterparts to advance federal interests in health.
• Provides advice to ensure a better understanding of implications for Indigenous peoples, including in relation to the United Nations Declaration Action (UNDA) and the Inuit Nunangut Policy (INP).
• Relationship building and maintenance with Indigenous partners with a view to increasing awareness of Health Canada policy and program work and promoting Indigenous health priorities and coordination of engagement activities.

D. Office of International Affairs (OIA)

• OIA strategically advances the health portfolio's international priorities in support of Canada's domestic health policy and foreign policy objectives and ensures that Canada's interests and values are reflected in the global health agenda.
• OIA is situated in HPB and reports to both Health Canada and PHAC deputy heads. Key functions include:
  • International relations and engagement: lead global health governance by building and sustaining relationships and networks, establish and advance collaborative strategies; and
  • Global health policy coherence: provide horizontal global health policy coherence and international cooperation to advance the ministerial mandate and health portfolio global health priorities.
• Example of OIA roles:
  • Represent Canada on multilateral health governance boards (WHO, PAHO);
  • Represent Canada in G7/G20 health meetings; and
  • Support trade negotiations and maintain trade agreements, in particular, by advocating for the protection of Canada's right to regulate in support of legitimate health objectives.

HPB Organizational Structure

• Jocelyne (Jo) Voisin, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister
• Sarah Lawley, Assistant Deputy Minister
• Matthew Lynch, Director General Policy Coordination and Planning Directorate (PCPD)
• Elizabeth Toller, Director General Health Care Strategies Directorate (HCSD)
• Daniel MacDonald, Director General Office of Pharmaceutical Management Strategies (OPMS)
• Suki Wong, Director General Mental Health Directorate (MHD)
• Sharon Harper, Director General Care Continuum, Aging, and Equity Directorate (CCAED)
• Melissa Sutherland, Director General Programs, Planning and Horizontal Functions Directorate (PPHFD)
• Jennifer Goodyer, Executive Director Canada Health Act Division (CHAD)
• Luke Carter, Executive Director Indigenous, Federal, Provincial and Territorial Relations Directorate (IFPTRD)
• Christine Harmston, Director General Office of International Affairs
• Michelle Owen, Executive Director Health Human Resources Taskforce
• Leigh Chapman, Chief Nursing Officer

HPB Financial Overview

Grants & Contributions – 5,794.3
Operating & Maintenance – 9.3
Salary – 42.2
Total (in millions) – 5,845.9

Annex: HPB's Role in Departmental Results Framework

HPB plays a key role in delivering HC's mandate:

Core Responsibility 1: Health Care Systems

• R1: Canada has modern and sustainable health care systems
  • I1: National health expenditure as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product
  • I2: Real per capita health expenditure
  • I3: Drug spending as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product
  • I4: Percentage of family physicians using electronic medical records
• R2: Canadians have access to appropriate and effective health services
  • I5: Percentage of Canadians (aged 15+) with a mental disorder who have expressed that they have an unmet mental health care need.
  • I6: Percentage of Canadians (aged 18+) who have expressed that they have an unmet need for access to home care services
  • I7: Percentage of Canada Health Act compliance issues addressed within 24 months of identification
  • I8: Percentage of Canadians (aged 12+) who did not fill a prescription for medicine or skipped doses of medicine because of cost
  • I9: Percentage of the target Canadian population who avoided visiting an oral health professional due to cost

Core Responsibility 2: Health Protection and Promotion

• R3: Canadians have access to safe, effective and quality health products
  • I10: Percentage of human new drug decisions issued within service standards
  • I11: Percentage of risk management plan reviews for new drug decisions completed within service standards
  • I12: Percentage of domestic drug companies deemed to be compliant with manufacturing requirements under the Food and Drugs Act associated regulations
• R4: Canadians are protected from unsafe consumer and commercial products and substances
  • I13: Percentage of domestic consumer product recalls communicated to Canadians in a timely manner
  • I14: Percentage of actions taken in a timely manner to protect the health of Canadians from substances found to be a risk to human health
  • I15: Percentage of pre-market pesticide submission reviews that are completed within service standards.
• R5: Canadians make health choices
  • I16: Percentage of Canadians (aged 15+) who are current cigarette smokers
  • I17: Percentage of youth (grades 10-12) who report frequent (daily to weekly) cannabis use in the past 30 days
  • I18: Percentage of Canadians who use dietary guidance provided by Health Canada

3. Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch (CSCB)

CSCB Senior Leadership

• Kendal Weber, Assistant Deputy Minister
• John Clare, Director General Cannabis Strategic Policy Directorate
• David Pellmann, Director General Cannabis Licensing and Medical Access Directorate
• Benoit P. Séguin, Director General Cannabis Compliance Directorate
• Aysha Mawani, Director General Controlled Substances and Overdose Response Directorate
• Sonia Corrent, Director General Tobacco Control Directorate
• Sheri Todd, Director General Horizontal Policy, Planning and Program Directorate
• Eric Doré, Director Branch Operational Support Services

CSCB Mandate

• The Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch's mandate is to reduce or prevent the harms associated with the use of substances in Canada (cannabis, tobacco/vaping products and controlled substances).
• The branch works towards this mandate by:
  • Controlling and regulating substances, based on high-quality scientific research (under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Cannabis Act and Tobacco and Vaping Products Act);
  • Taking a comprehensive public health approach to substance use, and addressing emerging challenges; and
  • Providing information about substance use to help Canadians make informed decisions about their health

Cannabis: Roles

Introduction:

• The Cannabis Act and its regulations came into force in 2018. The Act was designed to address two key factors: (1) displacing the illegal cannabis market; and (2) reducing public health harms associated with cannabis use, particularly among youth.

Regulatory Mandate:

Support the design and ongoing implementation of the Act and its regulations.

• Grant licences and other authorizations (cultivation, processing, sale for medical purposes, research, analytical testing, and cannabis drug licences, import/export permits, personal and designated production registrations, and exemptions).
• Promote, monitor, verify, and enforce compliance.

Policy Advice:

• Provide evidence-based advice on cannabis policy and regulatory direction, supported by a coordinated approach to research and data collection, in collaboration with partners and diverse stakeholders.

Health Information:

• Develop and promote evidence-based information, public education resources and programming on the health and safety facts about cannabis use.

Cannabis: Priorities

Cannabis Act Legislative Review

• In March 2024, following an 18-month comprehensive legislative review of the Cannabis Act, an independent expert panel tabled a report in Parliament with 54 recommendations to strengthen the administration of the Act.
• Health Canada is reprioritizing work and reallocating existing resources to address the expert panel's key recommendations in the 2024 final report, including:
  • Building on the recent regulatory streamlining amendments that came into force in the spring 2025, continue to explore options to further reduce regulatory burden, such as through changes to monthly reporting obligations and administrative processes.
  • Continuing to deliver evidence-based public education on the risks associated with cannabis use, particularly for youth.
  • Continuing efforts to reduce the risk that the personal or designated production of cannabis for medical purposes is misused to produce cannabis for illegal purposes.
  • Working with the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction to develop a "standard dose" for cannabis, and identify priorities for cannabis research.

Tobacco Control: Roles

Introduction:

• The Tobacco Control Directorate, as the lead for Canada's tobacco strategy, works to implement the strategy with its federal partners, provinces and territories, the health community, and other stakeholders.

Regulatory Mandate:

• Oversight and implementation of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) and its regulations:
  • Regulate the manufacture, sale, labelling, promotion and industry reporting of tobacco and vaping products.
  • Promote, monitor, verify, and enforce compliance.

Policy Advice:

• Track and provide advice on progress towards publicly stated target of reducing the rate of tobacco use to less than 5% of the population by 2035. In 2024, 13% of the population reported using a tobacco product.
• Provide evidence-based policy and regulatory direction related to tobacco and vaping. Coordinates analysis and advice across government departments, experts and stakeholders.

Health Information:

• Public education resources and programming to help Canadians quit smoking and to provide health and safety facts about vaping nicotine.
• Conduct surveillance and deliver scientific research to support government decision makers on key policy and regulatory initiatives.

Tobacco Control: Priorities

Cost Recovery:

• In 2024, Parliament passed legislative amendments to the TVPA for a cost recovery framework for tobacco and vaping related activities. The department is working with partners and stakeholders to advance the implementation of a tobacco cost recovery framework.

Legislative Review:

• [Redacted]
• In Budget 2025, the government proposed to amend the TVPA to extend the legislative review cycle of the Act from two years to five years.

Oversight of Vaping Products:

• Ongoing efforts to reduce the access and appeal of vaping products to people who never smoked, particularly youth.

Controlled Substances and Overdose Response: Roles

Introduction:

• The Controlled Substances and Overdose Response Directorate regulates controlled substances through the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) and works to reduce or prevent substance-related harms.

Regulatory Mandate:

• Administer the CDSA and its regulations to allow legitimate activities with controlled substances and precursor chemicals, while also reducing the risk that substances will be used for illegal purposes. Issue different authorizations such as licences, registrations, permits and exemptions.

Policy Advice:

• Provide evidence-based advice that advances the objectives of the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy and supports Canada's Border Plan, including initiatives on chronic pain, substance use, and alcohol.

Health Information:

• Public education on the risks of controlled substances and strategies to mitigate these risks, while de-stigmatizing addiction to help improve access to health services to address substance-related harms.
• Conduct surveillance and research activities on the public health impacts of substance use, including identification of new and emerging substances, to generate evidence for decision-making and policy and regulatory development.

Controlled Substances and Overdose Response: Priorities

Drug Crisis Response

Continue as federal lead of the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy, and implementation of core activities, including:

• Continue to work with government partners (e.g., PHAC, Public Safety, the fentanyl czar's office, RCMP, CSC, etc.) and other key stakeholders in the collection, analysis, and dissemination of timely data and information on the use and impacts of drugs and substances in Canada;
• Administering the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and its regulations to allow legitimate activities with controlled substances (e.g., clinical trials, supervised consumption sites, drug checking), precursors and certain drug equipment, while reducing risk of their use for illegal purposes, including monitoring compliance;
• Continued engagement and collaboration with provinces, territories, Indigenous partners, international partners, people with lived and living experience, and other stakeholders to address the drug crisis; and
• Respond to international regulatory and reporting obligations in compliance with the three international conventions.

Continued implementation of Health Canada measures in Canada's Border Plan, including by:

• Ensuring robust regulatory oversight over precursor chemicals and certain equipment used in the production of fentanyl and other illegal drugs;
• Enhancing monitoring and surveillance activities (e.g., screening of wastewater) for timely identification and regulation of new and emerging substances on the illegal drug market; and
• Supporting the fentanyl czar with up-to-date data on the impacts of fentanyl deaths in Canada and the USA.

Horizontal Policy, Planning, and Program: Grants and Contributions (G&C) for Addressing Substance Use Needs and Drug Crisis

• The Horizontal Policy, Planning and Program Directorate manages G&C funding to programs and initiatives for a range of services and supports that help people who use drugs and alcohol and reduce substance use harms in Canada.
  • The Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) provides time-limited contribution funding (up to 5 years) to innovative and evidence-informed projects that address substance use needs at the local, regional, and national levels. Projects operate across the continuum of care (prevention, harm reduction, treatment & recovery).
  • As of January 5, 2026, SUAP is providing $231 million to support 85 active projects located in communities across Canada. No further calls for proposals are currently planned.
• The Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF) provides $150 million over three years (2024-2027) to support emergency funding for municipalities and Indigenous communities to help provide rapid responses to emergent, critical needs related to the substance use and drug crisis. This funding is a key component of the continuum of care, helping to address service gaps and strengthen local capacity to respond to emerging crises.
  • As of January 5, 2026, the ETF is providing $100 million to support 90 active projects led by municipalities and Indigenous communities across Canada.
  • The ETF closed a new call for proposals (CFP) on November 4, 2025. Funding recommendations are anticipated to be finalized in January 2026, with new projects selected for funding set to begin as early as April 2026.
  • There is approximately $22 million of funding available for the final year (2026-2027) of the ETF. Approximately $438 million of new funding was requested for this year through the recent CFP.

Horizontal Policy, Planning, and Program Directorate: Horizontal Policy and Corporate Planning Responsibilities

• Provides horizontal coordination, integration, and analysis on branch strategic planning, policy and regulatory issues, sex- and gender-based analysis plus, and ministerial requests, ensuring coherence of strategic priorities.
• Supports and solidifies CSCB's governance and decision-making structures, while leading, advising, and coordinating the corporate planning and reporting functions of the branch, including performance measurement and related accountabilities.

Branch Operational Support Services

Corporate Services:

• Provides corporate support and planning for the branch, in key areas such as IM/IT, accommodations, operational planning, security, access to information & privacy, litigation, finance & human resources and workforce initiatives. This includes:
  • Advice and analysis to the ADMs and directorates on planning;
  • Accountability and business service issues impacting the branch;
  • Integrated corporate support to the ADMs and directorates by providing the tools and processes required for the effective daily operation of the branch; and
  • Single window coordination to the ADMs and directorates across a range of horizontal business functions with other branches.

CSCB Financial Overview (FY 2025-2026)

Key Financial Considerations

• CSCB's total funding received through the 2025-2026 main estimates is $278 million in voted appropriations ($126M Vote 1, $687K Vote 5, and $151M Vote 10). This excludes funding adjustments which may be anticipated through supplementary estimates, as well as through interbranch adjustments.
• CSCB's total planned full-time equivalent resources for 2025-2026 is 892.3.

4. Health Products and Food Branch

HPFB Mandate

The Health Products and Food Branch's (HPFB) mandate is to manage the health-related risks and benefits of health products and food by:

• Minimizing health risk factors to Canadians while maximizing the safety provided by the regulatory system for health products and food; and
• Providing information to Canadians so they can make healthy, informed decisions about their health

HPFB Organizational Structure

• Pam Aung-Thin, Assistant Deputy Minister
• Dr. Celia Lourenco, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister
• David K. Lee, Chief Regulatory Officer
• Sophie Sommerer, Director General Biologic and Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Directorate
• Stephen Norman Director General, Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate
• Chris Rose, A/Director General, Marketed Health Products Directorate
• Marilena Bassi, Director General, Veterinary Drugs Directorate
• Dr. Supriya Sharma, Chief Medical Advisor
• Kelly Robinson, Director General Pharmaceutical Drugs Directorate
• Joyce Boye, Director General Food and Nutrition Directorate
• Bruce Randall, Director General, Medical Devices Directorate
• Roslynn Miller-Lee, Director General, Business Facilitation and Modernization Directorate
• Ed Morgan, Director General, Policy Planning and International Affairs Directorate

Domestic and International Roles

Areas of Regulatory Responsibility

• Food
• Human drugs, including prescription and non-prescription pharmaceuticals, biologic and radiopharmaceutical drugs
• Natural health products
• Biocides
• Medical devices
• Veterinary drugs
• Blood
• Assisted human reproduction
• Cells, tissues and organs

Legislative Framework

• Food and Drugs Act and its Regulations
• Assisted Human Reproduction Act and its Regulations

International Collaboration

• Contribute to and benefit from standards development, and promote work-sharing and the exchange safety information between trusted international regulators.
• Build and maintain working relationships with key regulatory partners in other jurisdictions, such as the US, EU, UK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand.

Key Stakeholders and Partners

• Food and health products industry
• Health practitioner and patient organizations
• Canadian health NGOs, scientific associations and academics
• Provincial/territorial health partners
• Canada's Drug Agency / Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux
• Canadian Blood Services (CBS)/Héma-Québec

Core Business Lines

Health Products

• Under the Food and Drugs Act, Health Canada evaluates and monitors the safety, efficacy, and quality of health products such as prescription and non-prescription drugs, natural health products, vaccines, medical devices and veterinary drugs.
• Strong safety and effectiveness oversight is maintained across a product's full lifecycle:
  • Clinical trial review: regulate and review clinical trial applications
  • Product evaluation: review evidence to determine whether the benefits of the product outweigh the risks, and whether the risks or uncertainties can be managed
  • Ongoing surveillance: monitor how products perform in diverse settings, managing emerging risk over time and across the entire population

Food

• Develop evidence-based dietary guidance (e.g., Canada's Food Guide).
• Establish regulations, policies, and guidelines for the safety and nutritional quality of all foods sold in Canada; and provide pre-market assessment and authorization of food additives, novel foods, supplemented foods, human milk fortifiers, and infant formula.
• Provide health risk assessments to support CFIA's food safety investigations.
• Provide advice and information to Canadians about potential risks to their health (e.g., safe food handling, food allergies and intolerances).
• Work is underpinned by a strong scientific research program and supported by surveillance and monitoring activities.

Blood

• Regulate the safety of blood and blood components collected for transfusion and for manufacture into therapeutic products.
• Review and authorize submissions filed under the blood regulations to ensure the safety of the blood establishments' operational procedures.

Assisted Human Reproduction

• Establish regulations and policies to protect Canadians making use of third party assisted human reproduction technology.

Regulatory Activities and Decisions

• The Minister of Health is responsible for all decisions outlined in the Food and Drugs Act and its associated Regulations.
• The Minister is also responsible for administering regulations under the Patent Act that link with the approval of drugs.
• Through policy, the Minister's authorities are delegated down to departmental officials working in a capacity appropriate to the respective powers.
• Delegation and designation instruments are used to set out which officials have the appropriate expertise to exercise decision-making power when delegated.
• This allows for streamlined decision making and helps to ensure that regulatory decisions are made by those with appropriate scientific or technical expertise.

Examples of HPFB regulatory activities

Authorizing clinical trials

• Reviewing clinical trials to ensure that they are well designed and that participants are not exposed to undue risk.

Granting market authorization

• Authorizing the sale of certain types of food and health products, following an evaluation or registration process.

Granting special access

• Granting access to products not approved for sale in Canada in specific circumstances.

Responding to emergencies

• Approving drugs or medical devices for urgent public health needs.

Addressing unsafe products

• Monitoring and evaluating reports of suspected adverse reactions or other safety issues.
• Conducting risk assessments and issuing safety communications to the public.
• Ordering recalls for certain types of products.

Our Workforce

• HPFB's regulatory work requires a high degree of scientific expertise, and 66% of HPFB staff work in scientific or medical fields.
• Our highly specialized workforce includes pharmacists, medical doctors, veterinarians, biologists, chemists, nutritionists, statisticians, epidemiologists and other health communication, policy and regulatory professionals.
• In addition to our scientific evaluation and monitoring functions, our work includes scientific research to help ensure that our regulations and regulatory activities are based on the latest scientific evidence and best practices.

HPFB Priorities – Red Tape Reduction (RTR)

Initiative Context and Report

• In July 2025, the Government of Canada launched a Red Tape Review (RTR) across the federal regulatory system.
• The review aims to eliminate outdated or unnecessary rules and streamline the delivery of regulatory decisions.
• For Health Canada, while many regulations have been modernized, more work is proposed to further streamline rules and administrative processes to make it easier to do business in Canada.
• This work will also improve regulatory services and provide a more predictable regulatory environment for regulated parties, without compromising the health and safety of people in Canada.
• On September 8, 2025, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada published a report on modernizing regulatory processes to reduce red tape, foster innovation and uphold health and safety standards.
• The Health Products and Food Branch will focus on a number of regulatory modernization initiatives over the coming three years aimed at lowering regulatory burden, fostering innovation and positioning Canada as a destination of choice for industry.
• HPFB has put forward 5 major red tape reduction initiatives, with 28 sub-initiatives.

HPFB Deliverables Under the Minister's Mission Action Plan

• In response to the Prime Minister's mandate letter, the Minister of Health developed a Mission Action Plan.
• A monthly dashboard tracks activities, achievements and upcoming milestones, and provides an overview of risks and bottlenecks. It also identifies potential stakeholder engagement opportunities for the Minister.
• Two HPFB Red Tape Review initiatives are included in the Mission Action Plan: clinical trial modernization and increasing access to drugs through reliance.
• One other HPFB initiative is also included in the Mission Action Plan: increasing access to drugs by promoting uptake of the Canada Drug Agency's Target Zero Initiative to support parallel regulatory and health technology assessment of new drugs.

Foundation for Key Government Initiatives

HPFB also contributes to key Government of Canada priorities, such as:

• Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy: evaluate treatments for substance use disorders and help to manage risks related to opioids (e.g., Sublocade, mandatory opioid risk management plans and pre-clearance of opioid promotional materials for health care professionals).
• Canada's Drug Agency and Institut national d'excellence en santé et services sociaux: support health technology review assessment processes, reducing time between drug submission and listing.
• National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases: input into efforts to increase access in Canada to drugs to treat rare diseases.
• Health Emergency Readiness Canada: drive innovation and boost Canada's industrial capacity to advance leading-edge technologies and support the growth of the life sciences sector in Canada.
• Pan-Canadian Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance: evaluates, approves and monitors health products to prevent, detect and treat infections, including antimicrobials for human and animal use, and establishes policies, standards and guidance on human and animal health.

5. Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch (HECSB)

HECSB Organizational Structure

• Matt Jones, Assistant Deputy Minister for both Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch and Pest Management Regulatory Agency, Champion for Science, including Anti-Racism in Science, Champion for Sustainable Development and Climate Change
• Dennis Price, Director General Consumer and Hazardous Products Safety Directorate (CHPSD)
• Tim Singer, Director General Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate (ERHSD)
• Greg Carreau, Director General Safe Environments Directorate (SED)
• Heidi Jackson, A/Director General Policy, Planning and Integration Directorate (PPID)
• Carolyn Tateishi, Director Climate Change and Health Office (CCHO)

Protecting Human Health in Canada

HECSB helps people maintain and improve their health by reducing risks from a variety of sources, including:

• Air pollution could lead to disease, increased hospitalizations, and even premature death.
• Climate change is negatively impacting human health and is placing additional stress and costs on the health system.
• Unsafe drinking water can expose people to waterborne diseases and unsafe levels of harmful substances.
• Exposure to hazardous products in the workplace can be harmful to employee health.
• Significant events, such as chemical and nuclear emergencies, wildfires, and extreme heat, pose human health risks.
• Exposure to chemicals found in consumer products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food products, and industrial releases can cause immediate and long-term harmful effects (e.g., cancer) to human health.
• Radiation exposure may cause health impacts including vision loss, tissue heating/burns, and in some cases DNA mutations that can lead to cancer.
• Consumer products and cosmetics may pose dangers to human health or safety (e.g., exposure to hazards including mechanical, physical, toxicological, flammability, and electrical).

HECSB's core business lines are designed to manage and mitigate these risks to human health.

I. Core Business Lines – Consumer and Hazardous Products Safety

Helps to protect human health by identifying, assessing, managing, and communicating health risks posed by consumer products and cosmetics, as well as hazardous workplace chemicals.

Consumer Product Safety

Protects human health from hazards associated with consumer products and cosmetics, using a post-market, risk-based approach, by:

• Monitoring and assessing risks to human health or safety from consumer products and cosmetics;
• Developing national risk management strategies, such as policies, outreach, guidelines and regulations; and
• Working with national and international standards-development bodies in the development of standards.

Workplace Hazardous Products

Helps reduce the risk of workplace injuries by:

• Making information available to workers on the hazards, appropriate precautions, and first aid treatment associated with hazardous chemicals in the workplace;
• Assessing chemical substances and products against hazard classification criteria to foster accurate labelling and safety information; and
• Coordinating a national enforcement program with federal, provincial and territorial partners, and administering claims for exemption of confidential business information.

II. Core Business Lines – Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences

Helps to protect and improve human health through education, policy, regulation, and by performing high-quality research, monitoring and surveillance, analysis, and emergency preparedness and response.

Radiation Protection

• Leads the Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan (FNEP), the coordinated government response to a radiological or nuclear emergency;
• Regulates radiation emitting devices (e.g., x-ray equipment, tanning beds, lasers);
• Administers the National Radon Program to help manage the risk from radon exposure (i.e., lung cancer);
• Operates the Canadian Radiation Monitoring Network, a network of almost 100 monitoring stations and analytical laboratories; and
• Supports occupational radiation protections for workers in Canada through the National Dosimetry Service and National Dose Registry.

Environmental Risks to Health

• Leads scientific research, monitoring, and surveillance related to reduction of risks to human health from environmental factors, chemicals, and exposure to radiation sources.

III. Core Business Lines – Safe Environments

Helps to maintain and improve human health by identifying, assessing, managing, and communicating health risks posed by the environment.

Chemicals and Living Organisms

• Assesses and manages potential risks to human health posed by new and existing substances under the Chemicals Management Plan, a joint program with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Air and Water

• Works with provinces and territories to develop guidelines for drinking and recreational water quality, assesses the health impacts of air pollution, and develops national standards and guidelines for indoor and outdoor air quality.

Impact Assessment and Contaminated Sites

• Contributes expertise on human health aspects for impact assessments of major resource projects (e.g., pipelines, mines) and efforts to address federal contaminated sites.

International Engagement

• Works with international partners and organizations (e.g., OECD, WHO) to strengthen global chemicals management.

IV. Core Business Lines – Climate Change

Works to protect human health from the impacts of climate change and supports adaptation and action to build climate-resilient health systems.

National Adaptation Strategy

• Leads federal climate change and health policy, including the health and well-being system of the National Adaptation Strategy (NAS), a whole-of-society roadmap for a climate-resilient Canada.
• Coordinates across the federal health portfolio and other federal health partners.

Health Sector Adaptation

• Leads health sector adaptation, including expanding the capacity, resources, guidance, data, and information needed to support health systems to assess and adapt to climate change, such as through the HealthADAPT initiative.

Extreme Heat

• Works to better understand and address health risks from extreme heat, including through research, capacity building, guidance, tools, messaging, and supporting implementation of measures such as Heat Alert and Response Systems and the HeatADAPT initiative.

International

• Works with international partners to advance understanding and action on climate change and health, including by acting as a steering group member to the World Health Organization (WHO)'s Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health.

Data, Science, and Research

• Leads and supports work to collect science, research, and data on the health impacts of climate change, and adaptation options.

V. Core Business Lines – Departmental Offices in HECSB

Office of Sustainable Development

• Leads the coordination of Health Canada's input into the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) and the development of the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS).
• Coordinates the domestic deliverables under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Leads the implementation and ensures compliance with the Cabinet Directive on the Strategic Environmental and Economic Assessment.
• Supports departmental implementation of the Government of Canada Greening Government Strategy (e.g., HC's Climate Change Risk Assessment and Adaptation Plan).
• Coordinates Health Portfolio contributions in support of domestic implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Health Emergency Coordination Office

• Supports the department's preparedness activities and facilitates a coordinated response for health emergencies.
• Serves as a single window for coordination with PHAC on Health Portfolio emergency management.
• As per the Emergency Management Act, conducts continuous improvement activities, leads departmental projects (e.g., capabilities assessments), represents HC at federal and FPT emergency management committees, and provides strategic advice on emergency management.

Departmental Science and Ethics Policy Bureau

• Organizes the annual Health Canada Science Forum.
• Administers the HC-PHAC Research Ethics Board review process.
• Supports the implementation of the departmental Anti-Racism in Science Action Plan.
• Implements the HC-PHAC Scientific Integrity Policy.
• Supports the Departmental Science Advisor and ADM Champion for Science, including anti-racism in science.

Safe Environments (FY 2024-25)

• Over 10,000 substances addressed under the Chemicals Management Plan since 2006.
• 111 impact assessment expertise and advice requests answered.
• 331 industry requests assessed to import or manufacture new substances in Canada.
• 303 responses provided to enquiries on air quality from the public.
• 230 risk management actions put in place since 2006.
• 31 water quality issues addressed in 7 guidelines.
• 117 strategic environmental assessments reviewed.
• 72 site classifications and site-specific reviews completed.

Consumer and Hazardous Products Safety (FY 2024-25)

• 166,065 cosmetic notification forms received.
• 2,870 reports triaged for consumer product and cosmetic incidents.
• 252 recalls of consumer products and cosmetics communicated to people in Canada.
• 203 claims of confidential business information processed for workplace hazardous products.

Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences (FY 2024-25)

• 14 community-based radon outreach projects funded.
• 338 responses provided to enquiries on radiation-emitting devices from the public or stakeholders.
• 144 chemical incident notifications assessed.
• 672,811 radiation dosimeters analyzed and results reported.
• 33 safety concerns reported by poison centres and managed by Canadian Surveillance System for poison information.
• 8 nuclear emergency drills and exercises conducted.
• 150 articles published in peer-reviewed journals.
• 81 conference poster presentations.
• 91 research projects underway.

Key Legislation and Regulations

HECSB's programs and policies are governed primarily by the following legislative and regulatory instruments:

• Canada Consumer Product Safety Act and its Regulations
• Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, and its new substances notification Regulations
• Emergency Management Act
• Federal Sustainable Development Act
• Food and Drugs Act and its cosmetic Regulations
• Hazardous Materials Information Review Act and its hazardous materials information review Regulations
• Hazardous Products Act and its hazardous products Regulations
• Impact Assessment Act
• National Framework on Cancers Linked to Firefighting Act
• Radiation Emitting Devices Act and its radiation emitting devices Regulations

HECSB 2025-26 Workforce Distribution

HECSB Directorates

• There are over 1,100 employees in HECSB.

Occupational Category

• 741 employees in scientific roles (63.0%)
• 256 employees in management (21.8%)
• 230 employees in policy roles (19.5%)
• 185 employees in program & services (15.7%)

Years of Service

• 0 to 5 – 37%
• 5 to 9 – 17%
• 10 to 14 – 7%
• 15 to 19 – 23%
• 20 to 24 – 12%
• 25 to 29 – 4%
• 30 to 34 – 1%
• 35+ - 1%

Employment Equity Groups

• 28 Indigenous Persons
• 89 Persons with Disabilities
• 322 Racialized Persons
• 673 Women

Age of HECSB Workforce

• Less than 25 – 8%
• 25 to 29 – 11%
• 30 to 34 – 9%
• 35 to 39 – 12%
• 40 to 44 – 10%
• 45 to 49 – 14%
• 50 to 54 – 13%
• 55 to 59 – 10%
• 60 to 64 – 8%
• More than 65 – 5%

HECSB employees occupy space in five buildings across Ottawa, of which three are laboratories, in addition to employees working regionally:

• 219 Laurier Avenue West (downtown)
• Mulligan Building (1800 Walkley Road)
• Radiation Protection Building (Brookfield Road)
• 2655 Lancaster Road • Sir Frederick Banting (Tunney's)

HECSB Financial Overview

2025-26 Budget by funding source ($M) (excluding revenue and EBP)

• A-Base $98.9M (63.1%)
• Chemicals Management Plan $39.3M (25.1%) sunsets in 2025-26
• National Adaptation Strategy $8.6M (5.5%) sunsets in 2027-28
• Impact Assessment $3.4M (2.2%) sunsets in 2027-28
• National Framework on Cancers Linked to Firefighting $1.9M (1.2%) sunsets in 2028-29
• Plastics $1.8M (1.1%) sunsets in 2026-27
• Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change $1.6M (1.0%) sunsets in 2027-28
• Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan $0.7M (0.5%) sunsets in 2029-30
• Funding for Canada's G7 Presidency $0.5M (0.3%) sunsets in 2025-26

HECSB Priorities 2025-26

• Reduce and manage the risks posed by toxic chemicals - renew the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP), update cost recovery, and implement key priorities and frameworks under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, including the right to a healthy environment, the plan of priorities, and final objective for PFAS in drinking water and the final state of PFAS Report.
• Coordinate and respond to health emergencies - strengthen departmental emergency preparedness and response, provide expertise during emergencies (wildfires, extreme heat, and extreme weather events), and support the RCMP during the FIFA World Cup 2026™ on radiological or nuclear risks.
• Climate adaptation and extreme weather events - implement health adaption measures to protect the health of people in Canada from extreme heat, and lead implementation of the Health Canada Climate Change Adaptation Plan (e.g., support P/T and local health authorities to assess and adapt their health systems to extreme weather risks).
• Protect Canadians from unsafe consumer products and cosmetics - increase transparency and information on consumer products and cosmetics labelling to better inform Canadians, advance work on the risk management of lithium-ion batteries, continue to engage online marketplaces to be signatories of Health Canada's Canadian Product Safety Pledge, and monitor its effectiveness.
• Support firefighter health - implement an action plan to protect Canadians, including firefighters, from toxic flame retardants, and implement the National Framework on Cancers Linked to Firefighting.

6. Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA)

What are pesticides?

Pesticides are generally toxic chemicals intentionally released into the environment to kill target pests, including in agriculture, forestry, homes and workplaces, and industrial processes. There are 680 active ingredients in approximately 7,600 registered pesticide products in Canada and include the following areas: swimming pools, pulp and paper, aquaculture, ticks, insect repellent, vegetables, bed bugs, oil and gas, grains, forestry, fruits, manufacturing, industrial, rodents, and oil seeds.

Pesticides play an important role but also present risks

• Canada's agriculture and agri-food system employs 2.3M people and generates $150B (~6.8%) of Canada's GDP.
• Canada exported ~$99.1B in agriculture products in 2023.
• Without pesticides, corn crop yields would drop by 50% ($56B impact) in Canada and the USA.

What are pesticides?

• Products used to control pests are commonly referred to as pesticides.
• They can be either natural or chemically synthesized, and can also be devices (e.g., bug zappers).
• Approximately 7,600 pesticide products registered for use in a broad range of settings including agriculture, forestry and aquaculture, industrial settings (e.g., pulp and paper) and in Canadian homes to control pests including insects and rodents.

Why do we need pesticides?

Pesticides help manage pests, pathogens, and invasive species to:

• Maintain safe food productivity and support food security for the ever-growing world population;
• Support climate change efforts with zero-till agriculture, soil carbon sequestration and controlling invasive species;
• Contribute to public health by controlling disease-carrying vectors; and
• Enable stability and growth in the agriculture/agri-food economic sector.

Why is oversight important?

• Pesticides can present unacceptable risks to the environment (including wildlife) and human health if used inappropriately or improperly.
• Vulnerable populations (e.g., children, pregnant people, agricultural workers) may be disproportionately exposed to and/or negatively impacted by pesticides.
• The federal government regulates pesticides under the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA), which requires all pest control products to be registered or otherwise authorized before they can be sold or used in Canada or imported.

Our Mandate

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is the federal authority responsible for regulating pest control products in Canada, under the Pest Control Products Act.

Primary objective - to prevent unacceptable risks to individuals and the environment from the use of pesticides.

Ancillary objectives - supporting sustainable development, facilitating access to products that are lower risk, encouraging public awareness, ensuring only products of value are approved (including economic impact).

General distribution of responsibility

Federal

• New pesticide registration and post-market monitoring and review
• Science-based health, environment, and value assessments
• Compliance and enforcement

Provincial/territorial

• Transportation, sales, use, storage and disposal
• Training, certification, licensing
• Compliance with additional P/T program provisions that vary by province
• Further conditions on use in accordance with federal standards

Municipal

• Bylaws for further conditions on use (e.g., ban cosmetic use) where authority exists under provincial law and in accordance with federal standards

PMRA Organizational Structure

• Matt Jones, Assistant Deputy Minister
• Shannon LaForce, Director General Policy and Operations Directorate, Office of Continuous Improvement
• Frédérick Bissonnette, Senior Director General Regulatory Science and Operations
• Jason Flint, Director General Chief Registrar's Office and Registration Directorate
• Margherita Conti, Director General Value Assessment and Re-evaluation Management Directorate
• Regi Mathew, Director General Environmental Assessment Directorate
• Michael Rosu-Myles, Director General Health Evaluation Directorate

Our Core Activities

There are 7,600 registered pest control products (PCPs) which includes conventional PCPs, biopesticides and non-conventional PCPs on Canadian market. Each PCP is re-evaluated every 15 years as required by the Pest Control Products Act. Since October 1, 2025, there have been 50,000 pages for reading room requests.

Pre-market Product Reviews

• Scientific assessments are conducted to help ensure risks to the health of Canadians and the environment are acceptable and that the product has value (e.g., including efficacy and economic impacts).
• Pesticides must be registered or otherwise authorized before they can be sold or used in Canada.

Post-market Monitoring and Reviews

Re-evaluation

• To help ensure that pesticides meet modern standards for protection of health and the environment, all pesticides must have re-evaluations initiated on a 15-year cycle (note that the 2025 budget proposed to amend this requirement).

Special Reviews

• Special reviews must be initiated if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the health and environmental risks posed by the product may no longer be acceptable.

Incident Reporting and Sales Data Reporting

• Pesticide manufacturers are required to report an incident involving the possible use of their products, new scientific studies identifying new risks, and volumes of products sold in Canada.

Transparency

• Requirement to consult with the public on all proposed major registration decisions, including new registrations, major new uses of a pesticide, re-evaluations and special reviews.
• A wide variety of pesticide regulatory documents are made available through the public registry.
• The public can request to inspect the confidential test data (CTD) (e.g., industry-sponsored studies) supporting pesticide registration decisions or proposed decisions in the case of post-market reviews (i.e., re-evaluations and special reviews).

Our Robust Evidence-Based Decision Making

Because of the potential toxic nature of pest control products, the Pest Control Products Act requires a comprehensive (pre- and post-market) regulatory framework specific to pesticides and their uses.

Scientific assessments are conducted to help ensure risks to the health of Canadians and the environment are acceptable and that the product has value. These assessments consider the following:

Our Federal Partners

• Safe and effective pesticide use is a shared commitment between growers, industry, provinces, and the federal departments and agencies that help to protect the health of people living in Canada, the environment and our food supply.
• Health Canada (HC) is the authority responsible for the federal regulation of pest control products and acts on behalf of the Minister of Health under the authority of the PCPA to regulate the import, manufacture, sale and use of pesticides in the Canadian marketplace. Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch (ROEB) is responsible for compliance and enforcement activities related to pest control products.
• Other federal departments are important players in pesticide management and stewardship, including:
  • Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC): supports Canada's market competitiveness and supports the implementation of innovative practices by working with industry and partners;
  • Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC): protects the environment and wildlife while supporting sustainable development;
  • The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA): monitors and enforces compliance of pesticide maximum residue limits (MRLs) in food and prevents the movement of plant pests; and
  • Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) also has regulatory authority over pesticides applied to and in water ways for the control of invasive alien species and aquaculture.
• Some key collaborations with federal partners include:
  • AAFC's (Pest Management Center) Minor Use Program: this program brings pest control products to minor (smaller) crop and specialty crop growers in Canada.
  • FPT Working Group Pesticides Management: agriculture Ministers requested a working group to examine challenges and opportunities in Canada's current approach to pest control. A report with recommendations was released in January 2024. Early engagement with PTs piloted.

Our Priorities

PMRA has prioritized various initiatives to improve performance, better integrate economic considerations into activities, strengthen stakeholder relationships, embed certain transformation initiatives into continued modernization and improve efficiency and responsiveness by reducing red tape.

Modernization

Supporting Economic Competitiveness

• Exploring pesticide transition strategies and expediting reviews of alternatives when products are taken off the market.
• Emergency Registrations: working with stakeholders to streamline the process further.

Engagement

• Revisit engagement strategy ahead of regulatory decisions.
• Facilitate a provincial advisory forum of agricultural ministries to improve collaboration, information gathering, and engagement strategies.

[Redacted]

Red Tape Reduction

International Alignment and Reduction of Trade Barriers

• Leveraging international partnership and evaluations to accelerate PMRA's own reviews and decisions (e.g., joint reviews).

Improving Client Experience and Service Delivery

• Addressing pre-market backlog.
• Launching new digital tools - portal for real-time application tracking of pre-market reviews, and structured label tool available for voluntary use.

Risk-Based Regulating

• Applying continuous oversight and proportional effort for pest control products reviews.
• Budget 2025 commitment to replace the mandatory 15-year cyclical re-evaluation requirement from the Act enabling a risk-based approach to post-market reviews, while maintaining protection through continuous monitoring.

[Redacted]

International Activities and Drivers

Multilateral Environmental Agreements

• Canada is a signatory to several multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and participates in various international governmental organizations (IGOs).

Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

Canada is a Party to:

• Rotterdam Convention (prior informed consent for hazardous chemicals/pesticides in trade);
• Stockholm Convention (persistent organic pollutants); and
• PMRA is policy co-lead with ECCC; PMRA leads on pesticides, ECCC on industrial chemicals.

Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC)

• Vision: a planet free of harm from chemicals and waste, fostering innovation and sustainable business models.
• Health Canada's Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch leads; PMRA contributes on pesticide-specific and cross-cutting policy issues.

International Collaboration

• Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA): work with partners via technical working group on pesticides to address trade-related pesticide issues.
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): engage in initiatives (joint meeting of chemicals and biotechnology committee, working party on pesticides, working party on biocides) to promote global cooperation and alignment on assessments.
• Canada's 2030 Nature Strategy (Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework): PMRA contributes to:
  • Target 6: mitigate invasive species impacts via regulatory amendments.
  • Target 7: reduce pesticide risks to biodiversity through oversight, real-world data, and incentives for low-risk alternatives and biopesticides.

Stakeholder Polarized Perspectives

PMRA's mandate impacts over 2000 stakeholder groups, each holding different perspectives:

• Industry and grower groups seek more predictable, timely, and science-based regulatory decisions to maintain competitiveness, reduce regulatory burden while ensuring safety.
• Environmental and health advocacy groups demand greater transparency in decision making, access to scientific data, and stronger oversight.
• Canadian public wants assurance that human health and the environment are protected, but their perception and confidence is negatively impacted due to increasing spread of misinformation and disinformation.

PMRA Financial Overview

• PMRA total FTEs: 460
• Revenues from user fees – 21%
• A-base – 46%
• Targeted funding – 33%

Emerging Initiatives and Issues

Government Response to House of Commons AGRI Committee Report

• The AGRI Committee undertook a study on the government's regulatory reform in agriculture and agri-food including at AAFC, CFIA, and PMRA, focusing on expediting reforms, reducing costs for producers and processors without compromising health or trade, and identifying areas requiring political leadership to advance long-standing issues.
• AGRI committee recommendations for PMRA include embedding economic competitiveness in its mandate, accelerating approvals using foreign decisions, streamlining processes (digital tools, performance standards, expedited low-risk pathways), enabling drone application for aerial-use products, and reallocating resources to core functions to eliminate backlogs. Several recommendations are consistent with existing or planned activities.
• Response to the report (CFIA is the lead) is to be tabled in Spring 2026.

Budget

• [Redacted]
• [Redacted]

[Redacted]

Product Specific Regulatory Decisions

[Redacted]

Annex A: Partnerships and Key Stakeholders

Federal and Provincial Partners

Health Canada

• Label compliance and enforcement activities
• Strategic and horizontal policy
• Chemicals Management Plan

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

• Minor Use registrations
• Barriers to trade from pesticide residues in food

Global Affairs Canada

• International trade agreements

Environment and Climate Change Canada

• Multilateral environmental agreements
• Environmental research and monitoring

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

• Pesticide residues in food

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

• Environmental research and monitoring

Natural Resources Canada

• Canadian Forest Service

Existing FPT partnership forums:

• P/T Health and agriculture departments
• F/P/T Committee on pest management and pesticides
• AAFC - F/P/T Committee on pesticides management
• AAFC - Industry-Government honeybee sustainability working group

Key Stakeholders

National Industry/Retailers Associations

• CropLife Canada, Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association – (representing companies such as Bayer, Syngenta, 3M Canada, Scotts Canada, etc.), Canada Pest Management Association

User/Grower Groups

• Canada Grains Council, Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada, Canola Council of Canada, Soya Canada, Pulse Canada and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture

Non-Agricultural User Groups

• Canadian Coatings Association, Wood Preservation Canada, etc.

Non-Governmental Organizations

• David Suzuki Foundation, Safe Food Matters, Ecojustice, Prevent Cancer Now, Vigilance OGM, etc.

International Regulatory Bodies

• United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA),
• Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA),
• European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

International Collaboration

International organizations involved in regulatory harmonization

• Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)
• The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues

International Regulatory Bodies

• United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA),
• Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA),
• European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

Advisory Bodies

• Science Advisory Committee on Pest Control Products (SAC-PCP) (reports to the Minister of Health)
• Pest Management Advisory Council (PMAC) (reports to the Minister of Health)

Indigenous Partners

• Indigenous communities, including individuals and organizations at the local, national, and regional levels.

Annex B: PMRA External Advisory Bodies

• The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) engages the expertise of two external advisory bodies: the Pest Management Advisory Council (PMAC) and the Science Advisory Committee on Pest Control Products (SAC-PCP).
• Both the PMAC and the SAC-PCP adhere to the Health Canada policy on external advisory bodies.
• The PMRA maintains the responsibility and the sole authority to make regulatory decisions on pesticides taking into consideration the advice provided by the committee.
• Meetings are open to the public; however, certain portions of meetings, including deliberations or the formulation of recommendations, may be done in camera.

Annex C: Key Partners and Stakeholders Perspectives on Pesticide Regulation

7. Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch

Purpose

• To introduce the work of Health Canada's Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch (ROEB), and key activities and priorities

Introduction to REOB

• ROEB's mission is to be a compliance and enforcement leader that uses post market regulatory oversight to protect the people of Canada from health risks associated with products, substances, and their environment, while facilitating legitimate commerce.
• In addition to protecting Canadians, ROEB works with regulated parties to promote compliance with the regulations so they may operate in Canada and offers opportunities for industry to engage in the policy development process.
• ROEB works with various stakeholders, such as healthcare providers, law enforcement, international regulators, and consumer advocacy groups to help ensure Canadians have access to safe products and improve regulatory policies.

Overview of ROEB's Core Activities

In carrying out its mandate, ROEB is engaged in four primary areas of activity:

• Health Canada's dedicated compliance and enforcement (C&E) branch, ROEB, is responsible for the oversight of Health Canada products once they are approved and/or on the market, including licensing, inspection, reporting and case management of shortages, border oversight and enforcement activities.
• ROEB's laboratories support this C&E mandate by analysing regulated products (e.g., pharmaceuticals, natural health products (NHPs), tobacco/vaping products, cannabis products and pesticides to determine whether they are compliant with regulatory standards), to assess quality and determine compliance with regulatory standards. They also assist law enforcement and public health authorities through the analysis of samples of suspected illicit drug.
• ROEB's programs support environmental stewardship and health-related supports for internationally-protected persons.
• ROEB provides regulatory leadership for the department, supporting agenda setting, engaging with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, and supporting efforts such as red tape reduction.

Compliance and Enforcement Activities

• To help ensure the safety of products available to Canadians, ROEB is responsible for:
  • Issuing registrations and licences for health products (e.g., drugs, medical devices, biologics and NHPs).
  • Compliance and enforcement governing health products, clinical trials, pesticides, biocides, controlled substances and precursor chemicals, consumer products, tobacco and vaping products, and cannabis.
• ROEB leads Health Canada's response to prevent shortages of key health products, mitigate their impacts, and help resolve them when they occur.
• ROEB engages with stakeholders to monitor, verify, and enforce compliance:
  • Educates businesses and individuals on how to comply with the applicable laws and regulations.
  • Inspects products, facilities, and activities to ensure compliance with regulations.
  • Takes steps to mitigate risks when non-compliance is found.
• ROEB coordinates inspections with federal, provincial and international partners to:
  • Facilitate collaboration, encourage information sharing, and streamline regulatory requirements.
  • Assess compliance of health products at the border and help ensure imported health products meet regulatory requirements.
  • Recognise inspections conducted by trusted foreign regulators as equivalent to its own (e.g., mutual recognition agreements respecting good manufacturing practices for drugs).

Laboratory and Scientific Analysis

• Key to supporting ROEB's C&E mandate are its laboratory and scientific analysis functions.
• ROEB labs analyze health products, pesticides, tobacco, vaping products, cannabis, and controlled substances for contaminants or adulterations to ensure they meet safety and quality standards.
  • This analysis can be used to support regulatory decisions, inspections and enforcement actions, and even identify new health risks such as toxic substances or emerging pathogens.
• ROEB labs work closely with law enforcement agencies, public health authorities, international partners and scientific institutions.
  • This includes the Drug Analysis Service (DAS), which provides scientific services to support law enforcement agencies and public health partners in their activities involving illicit drugs.
  • It also includes standing up the Canadian Drug Analysis Centre as part of the government's border plan to allow for more specialized analysis of seized illegal drug samples to help determine how and where substances were manufactured.

Other ROEB Programs

• ROEB's Environmental Health Program works to protect people in Canada from environmental factors that can impact their health and well-being. The program:
  • Conducts outreach and engagement and provides scientific advice to government, stakeholders, industry, Indigenous communities, and the public on environmental risks and human health; and
  • Focuses on radon, chemicals, contaminated sites and the impacts of resource projects.
• The Internationally Protected Persons Program reinforces Canada's commitment to international relations, public health security, and emergency preparedness. ROEB's role is to coordinate emergency health (e.g., ensuring local ambulance and hospital facilities are at the ready) and food surveillance services for visiting IPPs, including at international major events such as G7.

Regulatory Leadership

• ROEB plays a departmental role in helping to set and prioritize the department's regulatory agenda, working with other regulatory branches.
• ROEB is the primary departmental contact for the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) and works to support the implementation of its government-wide regulatory policies such as the one-for-one rule (designed to reduce regulatory burden) and the Cabinet Directive on regulation (which outlines expectations for regulatory development such as consultation with stakeholders).
  • This helps ensure that regulations continue to support the health and safety of people in Canada, while recognizing the importance of a modern and agile regulatory regime to Canada's economy.
• ROEB leads Health Canada's Red Tape Review, working to ensure the departments initiatives to eliminate outdated or unnecessary rules and streamline the delivery of regulatory decisions are implemented.
• ROEB's policy team also advises on C&E policy and develops regulatory packages that support a modernized and risk-based C&E function.

ROEB Operates in a Complex and Evolving Environment

Globalization

• The evolving global supply chain requires increased harmonization and collaboration with other regulators, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency, on good manufacturing practices inspections, as well as support for domestic industry players.

Innovation

• The rapid pace of innovation requires the development of new regulatory frameworks that include C&E authorities (e.g., authority for inspectors to enter sites virtually).

Technological advancement

• Innovative products require establishing new and more agile C&E measures (e.g., setting terms and conditions on advanced therapies that are personalized) and state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and methods.

Credibility as a regulator

• Protection of the Canadian population requires risk-based oversight, evidence-based regulatory decision-making, transparency of inspection results, high quality scientific results, and information on health and safety risks.

Key Priorities for the Branch

ROEB is working to:

• Support regulatory modernization with a flexible and nimble approach that adjusts to new and innovative products while reducing administrative burden and red tape.
• Leverage international partnerships to facilitate collaboration, information sharing and ensure international alignment with regulatory requirements.
• Stand up the new Canadian Drug Analysis Centre to support Canada's border action plan, by expanding laboratory capacity to look at markers in seized illegal drug samples to help determine how and where they were made.
• [Redacted]
• Foster continuous improvement of programs to be more proactive, risk-based, and flexible (e.g., in responding to growth of e-commerce).

Annex 1

In 2024-2025, ROEB led the Following C&E activities:

ROEB Laboratories

• Analyzed more than 118,000 samples, 106,677 related to illegal drugs and harm- reduction initiatives
• >10,000 for surveillance and monitoring activities (e.g. Canadian Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides, wastewater analysis for illicit drugs and anti-microbial resistance, ISC drinking water analysis, etc.)
• 1,322 related to health products, tobacco & vaping products, cannabis, pesticides and border samples

Recalls

• Posted 282 recalls for consumer products on the recalls and safety alerts website

Compliance Promotion

• 305 stakeholder information sessions
• 234 activities with companies and/or licence holders
• 26 letters and bulletins to stakeholders

Application Processes

• 4,841 medical devices establishment licences
• 2,956 drug establishment licences
• 1,196 NHP site licences

Inspections

• 6,516 inspections (planned inspections, not including reactive inspections), including:
• 3,168 tobacco and vaping inspections, resulting in the seizure of over 298,000 non-compliant vaping products and more than 17,000 tobacco items
• 1,023 cannabis and controlled substances inspections
• 1,251 consumer product and pesticide compliance program inspections
• 507 good manufacturing, good pharmacovigilance, and NHP program inspections
• 567 medical devices, clinical trial, and biological product compliance program inspections

Border Operations

• Admissibility determinations for 51,565 health product shipments referred to Health Canada by CBSA.
• Of these, 49% were refused, 2% were seized, and 49% were released

Enforcement

• 4,889 Enforcement actions were taken across regulated products, including:
• 1,056 posted recalls
• 139 import alerts
• 1,691 warning letters issued
• 795 stop sale or distribution notices
• 415 seizures of health products

Health Product Shortage

• 2,588 drug shortage reports posted on the drug shortages Canada website and 51 medical device shortages reports posted on the medical device shortages website

ROEB Leadership Team

• Linsey Hollett, Assistant Deputy Minister
• Denise MacGillivray, Director General Cannabis, Tobacco & Controlled Substances
• Kim Godard, Director General Health Product Compliance
• Marie-José Loffredo-Forest, Director General Laboratories
• Sara O'Connor, Director General Planning & Operations
• Sally Gibbs, A/Director General Environmental Health, Consumer Products & Pesticides
• Greg Loyst, Director General Health Product Shortages
• Christine Leckie, Director General Medical Devices & Clinical Compliance
• Robert Coleman, A/Director General Policy & Regulatory Strategies

8. Oral Health Branch

Key Oral Health Branch Functions

• Oral Health Branch (OHB) serves as the primary entity responsible for delivering departmental oral health commitments, aimed at enhancing affordability of and access to oral health services and improving the overall well-being of Canadians.
• OHB is responsible for all aspects of Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) and Oral Health Access Fund delivery (OHAF) – a grants and contribution program, as well as related corporate functions (e.g., public communications; stakeholder engagement; and program performance measurement, reporting, and evaluation that aim to ensure the effective delivery of the program to Canadians residents).
• Employment and Social Development Canada/Service Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency and Public Services and Procurement Canada play supporting roles in CDCP delivery.
• Current OHB directorates reflect this scope of responsibility and include:
  • Operations
  • Policy and engagement
  • Office of the Chief Dental Officer of Canada
  • Performance, data and oversight
  • Audit Readiness Task Team and Oral Health Access Fund

OHB Organizational Structure

• Lynne René de Cotret, Assistant Deputy Minister
• Brad Martens, Director General Operations
  • CDCP Third Party Administrator Contract Oversight
  • Claims and Fraud Management
  • Operational Planning
• Marika Nadeau, Director General Operations
  • Member and Provider Services
  • CDCP Enrolment Operations (with Service Canada)
  • Member Eligibility Reviews
• Lindy VanAmburg, Director General Policy and Engagement
  • Policy
  • Centre of Expertise
  • Correspondence, Outreach, Communications and Stakeholder Relations
  • FPT Relations
• Dr. James Taylor, Chief Dental Officer of Canada
• Hicham Agoumi, Director General Performance, Data and Oversight
  • Data Services
  • Acquisition Support
  • Financial and Acquisition Oversight
  • Governance, Compliance and Fraud Risk Oversight
  • Corporate Reporting and Performance Measurement
• Sonia Le Bris, Director General Audit Readiness Task Team and OHAF
  • Branch Audit Coordination
  • Oral Access Health Fund (OHAF)

Operations Directorate

Mandate

• Implementation and delivery of the CDCP by providing a single window point of contact between the third-party benefits administrator (Sun Life), Employment and Social Development Canada/Service Canada (ESDC/Service Canada), Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for all operational matters.
  • This includes provider and member issues such as billing, claims processing and adjudication, eligibility and reassessment issues, debt recoveries, and general client service through contact centres.
• Oversight of benefits administrator's CDCP delivery – contract compliance, task authorizations, governance, quality assurance, integrity measures, funding for provider payment processes, validating costs and billing accuracy, evaluating the adequacy of internal controls, assessing contractor's performance.
• Operational alignment – develop and maintain standard operating procedures for benefits approvals, produce operational reports and operational plans, provide regular quality assurance and partnership management, undertake compliance planning and reviews and control testing, including fraud mitigation and investigation.

Key Files

• Procurement
• Member enrolment and eligibility
  • ESDC application and eligibility assessment
  • Debt recoveries
• Provider participation, including training institutions
• Claims operations
  • Claims processing and payment
  • Coordination of benefits
• Provider and member portals and contact centres
• Operational oversight, planning, monitoring, reporting and procedures
• Accessibility
• Security
• Privacy
• Fraud, verification and audit

Policy and Engagement Directorate

Mandate

• Lead Health Canada's oral health policy functions, including strategic policy (e.g. Cabinet/Treasury Board, budget/funding proposals, legislative initiatives, briefings with DM/Minister, liaison with central agencies).
• Design and stewardship of CDCP policies, including eligibility, scope of coverage, fees, basket of services, and analysis to support evidence-based program decisions.
• Oversee benefit expenditures, including forecasting, in-house modelling, and costing and economic analysis.
• Provide oral health clinical expertise related to the CDCP, including developing and refining CDCP clinical preauthorization rules, reviewing/calibrating Sun Life preauthorization decisions, and reviewing requests for service coverage exceptions.
• Serve as the central hub for CDCP stakeholder engagement with dental professionals, provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, advocacy groups, and national oral health partners.
• Lead CDCP communications, promotion, correspondence management, and outreach in collaboration with Communications and Public Affairs Branch, including media engagement and public/provider messaging on the CDCP.
• Manage CDCP interdepartmental governance and intergovernmental coordination, including secretariat support to Ministerial, DM, and ADM-level committees, and PT agreement development/negotiation.

Key Files

• Policy and funding authorities
• CDCP policy parameters
• Basket of services
• Fees policy and fee setting
• Economic analysis and modelling/forecasting
• FPT engagement
• Review of service exception requests
• CDCP stakeholder engagement with oral health care associations, advocacy organizations, and key stakeholders

Office of the Chief Dental Officer of Canada

Mandate

• Provide leadership for the Government of Canada in the advancement of oral health and oral health care for Canadians.
• Provide strategic professional and technical advice to the Oral Health Access Fund, the national oral health human resources initiative, and the CDCP centre of expertise.
• Work with partners and stakeholders in identifying emerging oral health issues, advising, facilitating, convening and building consensus.
• Work with partners and stakeholders to identify oral health data and knowledge gaps; inform and support oral health surveillance and research; develop knowledge products.
• Work with partners and stakeholders to integrate current oral health knowledge into health practice, policies and programs.
• Act as the federal professional/technical lead for oral health and lead and/or engage in various collaborative forums to mitigate national oral health challenges and respond to national/international cross-cutting oral health issues.
• Engage with professional organizations, Canadian FPT governments, national and international research organizations, national and international regulatory organizations, global Chief Dental Officer community, national and international educational organizations and global health organizations.

Key Files

• CIHR – Canadian biomaterials initiative
• HECSB – GoC fluoridation guidelines
• WHO – global oral health action plan
• PAHO – hemispheric oral health agenda
• World Dental Federation (FDI) – CDO section chair and public health committee member
• Standards Council of Canada GoC delegation to ISO Technical Committee on Dentistry (TC106)
• Canadian Health Measures Survey – cycle 7 oral health component
• ECCC – Minamata convention on mercury
• Federal, Provincial and Territorial Council of Dental Directors – convenor and secretariat
• Federal Dental Network – convenor and secretariat
• TBS Public Service Dental Care Plan – chair of the board of management (PSAC component)
• Provide all technical content updates to the Canada.ca webpages on oral health
• Provide all technical content and professional liaison for GoC social media recognizing Canada's six oral health professions

Performance, Data and Oversight Directorate

Mandate

• Deliver CDCP Contract governance, acquisition support in collaboration with PSPC and financial oversight.
• Provide a single window for branch data services requests: develop interactive CDCP data products, build and maintain data feeds with partners (Sun Life, CRA, ESDC), conduct and streamline data analysis and modelling in-house to support evidence-based policy, program decision-making, planning, costing and performance reporting.
• Oversee risks and internal controls for OHB, including the internal controls over financial management in collaboration with the CFO branch.
• Lead on branch performance measurement, reporting accountabilities, and evaluation and audit readiness.
• Conduct applied research to inform evidence-based decision-making including SGBA+ analysis of program use patterns, health human resources, population survey results, employer reporting on dental care.
• Collaborate with Statistics Canada and the academic community to leverage data for decision-making.
• Oversee branch IT project governance to implement required infrastructure.

Key Files

• Data analytics, interactive report development
• Statistics Canada liaison and data analysis for disaggregation analysis
• IT infrastructure project management and oversight
• Risk and internal controls frameworks
• CDCP contract governance, PSPC liaison, and finance oversight
• Performance measurement, reporting, evaluation and audit readiness
• Chair Director General Policy, Risk and Planning Committee

Audit Readiness Task Team and Oral Health Access Fund Directorate

Mandate

• Lead the branch audit work and responses. This includes:
  • Overseeing any OAG requests, coordinating with branch directorates, playing a challenge function to support comprehensive narratives, managing a centralized information repository to monitor branch responses and follows-up, leading on the development of any needed management response action plans.
  • Liaising with Health Canada's Office of Audit and Evaluation, Health Canada Chief Financial Officer Branch and the Office of the Auditor General.
• Design, administer and deliver the Oral Health Access Fund (OHAF), a grants and contributions program designed to address barriers to accessing oral health care. This includes:
  • Stewarding OHAF terms and conditions, designing OHAF policies, designing and overseeing calls for proposals, managing OHAF governance, negotiating and overseeing funding agreements, acting as a single window on OHAF communications, reporting and performance measurement.

Key Files

• Audit
• OHAF policy and reporting
• OHAF performance measurement
• OHAF operations (negotiation and administration of funding agreements, including budget)
• OHAF communications

Dental Care Funding

Budget 2023

• Budget 2023 provided the following funding:
  • $13.0 billion over five years, starting in 2023-24, and $4.4 billion ongoing to implement the CDCP;
  • $250 million over three years, starting in 2025-26, and $75 million ongoing to establish the OHAF; and
  • $23.1 million over two years, starting in 2023-24, to Statistics Canada to collect data on oral health and access to dental care in Canada.

[Redacted]

OHB Staffing Profile

As of January 5, 2026:

• There are 210 full-time and 33 term employees in OHB.
• [Redacted]
• [Redacted]

9. Digital Transformation Branch

December 2020 - in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), created the National Digital Transformation Office (NDTO) to support the vaccine rollout.

Digital capabilities - recognizing the heightened importance of digital capabilities and the opportunity to harness the agility of the NDTO team, the existing Information Management Services Directorate (IMSD) team within the Corporate Services Branch at Health Canada and the NDTO team at PHAC were consolidated to form a single unified technology, data and digital branch under Health Canada.

April 2022 - this integration aimed to streamline our operations and enhance our ability to deliver comprehensive and agile digital solutions. Building on these foundational elements, the Digital Transformation Branch (DTB) was formally established in April 2022 to solidify and expand upon these core functions.

DTB Operates under the Shared Services Partnership (SSP)

DTB provides enterprise IT services as a common service provider to both PHAC & HC through the SSP. Deputy Heads of HC and PHAC signed the SSP and are motivated to:

• Enable a reduction in overhead costs
• Brought a more "whole of portfolio" perspective to the work of the two organizations
• Innovated corporate management and service delivery

What DTB Does

• Enterprise IT provider to HC/PHAC
• Enables consistent service delivery
• Provides IM/IT, communications, data, policy services

Governance & Accountability

• ADM & Chief Service and Digital Officer
• Departmental CIO
• Designated official for cyber security
• Designated official for service
• Aligned to TBS service and digital policy

Service Delivery Partners

• Shared Services Canada
• Treasury Board Secretariat
• Public Services & Procurement Canada

DTB Organizational Structure Post Reductions

• Shaifa Kanji, Assistant Deputy Minister, Chief Digital & Service Officer
• Brent Johnston, Director General Digital Product Development, Delivery & Management
  • HC/ PHAC digital product solutions
  • Project maintenance
  • Digital product development
  • Accessibility, inclusivity & compliance
• Daniel McLaughlin, Director General IT Service Delivery
  • IT Operations: network operations & desktop engineering, IT asset management, IT support
  • Application modernization
  • Enterprise architecture
  • Cyber security
  • Microsoft platforms
• Monik Kumari, A/Director General & Chief Data Officer
  • Data analytics, innovation & service, artificial intelligence
  • Information management & open data
  • Data policy & governance
• Francis Désabrais Boyer, Director Portfolio Management, Planning & Corporate Strategy
  • IT departmental planning & reporting
  • TB submissions / MCs
  • IT strategic planning, service & oversight
  • Portfolio management & advisory services
  • Digital workforce, engagement & corporate operations
  • Policy & stewardship

Client-Facing Services Built on Broader DTB Capabilities

What Clients See

• Grow services
• IT service delivery
• Business relationship management
• Device hardware services
• Development services
• IT help desk and workplace support
• Maintenance services
• Project work
• Network and connectivity
• Run services

Enablement / Run the business work (what clients don't see)

• Core IT functions
• Digital health architecture and standards
• Senior management
• Information management
• Accessibility design and assessments
• SSC ASR bill
• eDiscovery
• Office operations
• Policy compliance, planning and coordination
• Corporate services and policy compliance
• Cloud services
• Paper records disposition
• Business intelligence services
• Security access management
• M365 application support and training
• IT procurement
• Database service
• Decommissioning of legacy systems
• Cyber security
• Tech debt
• Service excellence and digital strategy
• Data policy and services
• Open data
• Enterprise architecture
• Software services
• IT planning and reporting
• AI literacy and education
• Project management office
• Enterprise data and governance
• Data analytics and integration service
• Finance and human resources
• M365
• Corporate functions

Driving Transformation Through Four Key Priorities

DTB Reset

• DTB will strengthen its internal operations and modernize how it works, laying the foundation to deliver better, more reliable services and further establish itself as a trusted, collaborative partner.

Technical Debt

• DTB will improve HC/PHAC application portfolio health by modernizing our most critical and vulnerable business applications and servers.

Artificial Intelligence & Innovation

• DTB will foster a culture and lead efforts in support of artificial intelligence initiatives and digital innovation to enhance service delivery, productivity, and insight.

Cybersecurity

• DTB will strengthen its cybersecurity program by modernizing protections, improving threat response, and embedding security across digital operations.

DTB FTE Trend

• FTEs 2023-24 – 674.45
• FTEs 2024-25 – 720.61
• FTEs 2025-26 – 679.92
• FTEs 2026-27 – 627.6, term renewal requests - 49
• Historically, DTB has been heavily reliant on temporary funding.
• In FY24-25 DTB was going on an upwards trajectory, increasing its FTE compliment to 721.
• [Redacted]
• [Redacted]

Challenges: A Complex Funding Model Impacting Long-Term Stability

DTB operates under a multi-sourced funding model. While this provides access to various funding streams, it also adds challenges related to financial planning, predictability and long-term stability.

No Dedicated O&M for Strategic Priorities

• Critical areas such as tech debt, artificial intelligence, cyber security, accessibility, and resource upskilling remain unfunded, putting long-term sustainability at risk.

Short-Term Fixes, Long-Term Consequences

• Temporary solutions will not hold under growing digital needs and reliance.

[Redacted]

Pathways to Strengthen DTB

Next Steps for TB

Taking an Enterprise Approach

• Move from a fragmented, branch-led IT planning model to an enterprise approach where DTB is positioned as the functional authority to guide digital priorities, investments, digital services, and risk management across the Department.

Improving Financial Authority

• Partner with CFOB to establish a balanced and sustainable financial approach that aligns project prioritization, use of professional services, and centralized funding of corporate digital priorities.

[Redacted]

Rising Costs & Evolving Priorities, Creating Funding Gaps

Increased cost of activities

• NSD Helpdesk costs have increased from $2.5M in FY21-22 to $3.1M in FY24-25. DTB has repatriated the SD resulting in a cost avoidance of $1.4M. (SSC cost for FY25-26 was estimated to be $4.5M).
• Pre-pandemic bandwidth costs were $500K. Costs are now over $3.2M supporting a hybrid (on-site & at-home) environment.
• Replacement value of laptops and monitors have increased 30%.
• Escalating cyber threats has increased the need for security assessments and continuous monitoring / compliance validation. These cost recovered expenses have jumped from $4.4 million in FY21-22 to $5.6 million in FY24-25.

Strategic approach to procurement

• Directive on digital talent: shift towards internal capacity, reduce contractor reliance.
• Procurement strategy: in collaboration with PMAMD, developing a procurement strategy to bridge contracts to cover resource requirements for approved tier 1 IP projects.

Post-pandemic IT operating environment

DTBs operating environment has changed since the pandemic:

• Remote & hybrid work models
• Increased cybersecurity demands
• User-centric services
• Increased reliance on M365 platform to support hybrid work

Risk & Compliance Process (RCP) Activities

• DTB leads service and digital activities
• HC has identified 10 priorities requiring targeted action. Three relate to the service and digital management: service, metadata, interoperability, aging IT

Accessibility

• Legislative requirements impact all IT initiatives

[Redacted]

Roadmap: Adopting and Integrating Artificial Intelligence at Health Canada 2025-2027

A complex and aging portfolio:

• Dated IT systems and applications create a risk for cybersecurity, reliability and service delivery to Canadians.
• Attention required to improve application health to Government of Canada standards.
• 26 database technologies and versions
• 28 operating systems and versions
• 26 web server technologies
• 64 development languages

We will take a matrix teams and agile approach to

• Address existing technical debt
• Prevent new debt

DTB will improve HC/PHAC application portfolio health by modernizing our most critical and vulnerable business applications and servers.

Key Objectives for Addressing Technical Debt

• Develop inventory & roadmap
• Improve project planning & investments
• Address high priority risks
• Implement common platforms
• Monitor, report & progress

HC/PHAC Technical Debt Priorities

Four areas of focus to address existing technical debt and prevent future debt accumulation.

Applications Workplans to address technical debt by branch.

• License to remediate: Server upgrades including components
• DTB Accountability: Enterprise systems and applications
• Business Ownership: Application upgrades in 4 categories:
  • DTB as business owner
  • Branch as business owner, DTB developed/managed
  • Branch as business owner, branch developed, DTB managed
  • Branch as business owner, branch developed, branch managed

KPI for 2025-26: DTB roadmap completed

Roadmap: Adopting and Integrating Artificial Intelligence at Health Canada 2025-2027

• GC AI strategy includes interconnected priorities:
  • Focus on building AI capacity and expertise
  • Update policy and governance frameworks for ethical AI
  • Address AI skills gap through targeted training and recruitment
  • Engage stakeholders to ensure transparency and value delivery
• Across the GoC, many departments are focusing on prioritization, infrastructure, and literacy.
• Health Canada envisions a future that seamlessly integrates artificial intelligence to empower its people, enhance health intelligence, and drive innovation in service. By embracing responsible and human-centric AI, Health Canada will lead with foresight, trust, and impact - all in support of better health outcomes for Canadians.
• The focus is on the use of AI within Health Canada's services, programs, and operational functions. It does not address broader AI applications in health systems.
• Approach - Health Canada's AI use cases are prioritized via the AI accelerator, a readiness and intake process and operationalized through HC PATH (protected AI and technology hub)
• We also support the permissive use of GenAI to enhance employee productivity, in line with federal guidance.

Levers to drive adoption

• Emphasis in mandate letters on digital transformation and AI
• Scaling AI in internal services (e.g., HR, ATIP, procurement) could yield significant savings
• Strong AI community of practice

Key barriers

• A secure AI platform (e.g., HC PATH + cloud) is needed to scale
• Isolated or unprepared data
• AI requires sustained funding and resources for enterprise impact

Adopting AI

Setting the stage for HC to adopt AI in a responsible, forward-thinking, and adaptable way and applying it where it adds the most value. HC will adopt and operationalize AI within three focus areas.

1. Empower the workforce

Use AI to streamline programs, regulatory work, and internal services by automating tasks and improving data workflows.

• DTB IT service desk chatbot and search tool: provide live answers on IT tools and services.
• DTB back-office assistant: assessing retail AI software for personal productivity.
• AI for code: using AI to improve coding capabilities.

2. Scale and strengthen surveillance

Leverage AI for real-time monitoring of health and safety signals that affect programs, regulation and back-office.

• PMRA relevancy screener: AI triage for scientific publications.

3. Enhance regulatory processes and services

Invest in AI to improve service delivery, reduce workload, and strengthen regulatory functions.

• ROEB single window initiative: facilitating external data and regulatory enforcement by ensuring inspection data is available in real time at the border.

Enabling AI

Four pillars to create an AI ready environment

• People & data talent: grow an AI-ready workforce and culture
• Policy infrastructure: strengthen AI governance and accountability
• Technology infrastructure: develop scalable, secure tech platforms
• Information & data: ensure clean, accessible, reliable, high-quality data

[Redacted]

[Redacted]

10. Chief Financial Officer Branch (CFOB)

Mandate

• The Chief Financial Officer Branch (CFOB) is the departmental focal point of accountability to ensure rigorous stewardship of resources, manage for results and provide integrated financial and real property services.
• CFOB provides the necessary enabling frameworks, policies, systems, best practices and tools to support program management and operations for both Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada (through the Shared Services Partnership).
• The vast majority of CFOB activities directly support key central agency policies and legislative requirements.

CFOB Branch Priorities

• People
• Corporate support excellence
• Modern processes, systems and tools

CFOB Organizational Structure

• Ryan Higgs, A/Chief Financial Officer and Senior Assistant Deputy Minister
  • Functional reporting relationship with the Comptroller General of Canada
• Karen Stewart, Director General Resource Management & Advisory Services Directorate (RMASD)
• Duane Wilson, A/Director General Financial Operations Directorate (FOD)
• Naira Minto-Saeed, Director General Departmental Submissions & Performance Measurement Directorate (DSPMD)
• Nausheena Wright, A/Director General Procurement & Investment Management Directorate (PIMD)
• Joseph (Joe) Oickle, A/Director General Real Property Directorate (RPD)

CFOB Functions by Directorate

Resource Management and Advisory Services Directorate

(no direct support to PHAC)

• Provide resource management advice (e.g. quarterly financial situational reports, revenue dashboards, briefings for committee appearances).
• Develop the Main and Supplementary Estimates and related documentation (reprofiles, CFO surveys).
• Provide financial information for external facing reports (Departmental Plan, Results Report, etc.) and develop the Departmental Fees Report.
• Support financial input for memoranda to Cabinet, Budget submissions and Treasury Board Submissions.
• Develop and ensure compliance to policies for costing, cost recovery and management of revenues and expenditures.
• Develop and manage integrated financial data model (PowerBI) and related capabilities.

Legislative / Policy Requirements

• Financial Administration Act (Part II – remissions, Part III – expenditures, estimates, appropriations, warrants, commitments, lapses)
• Service Fees Act
• Food and Drugs Act, Pest Control Products Act, etc. (and various acts that support the Minister of Health's authority to establish fees/support remissions)
• Policy on financial management
• Policy on results
• Policy on projects and programmes
• Directive on charging and special financial authorities
• Directive on public money and receivables

Financial Operations Directorate

(support to PHAC through the Shared Services Partnership (SSP))

• Process financial transactions, including payments, receivables, reimbursements, and adjusting entries.
• Oversee quality assurance for financial transactions to ensure data integrity and accuracy.
• Prepare financial statements and public accounts.
• Issue and monitor compliance with financial policies and procedures.
• Maintain the delegation of spending and financial authorities (DFSA) and associated signature cards.
• Maintain salary forecasting.
• Conduct annual internal controls assessments.
• Coordinate fraud self-risk assessments.
• Manage and maintain the departmental financial management system (SAP).
• Support financial community development.

Legislative / Policy Requirements

• Financial Administration Act
• Policy on financial management
• Debt write-off regulations
• Directive on payments
• Directive on public money and receivables
• Directive on accounting standards
• Directive on travel, hospitality, conference and event expenditures
• Directive on delegation of spending and financial authorities
• Directive on stewardship of financial management systems
• Directive on mandatory training

Procurement and Investment Management Directorate

(support to PHAC through the Shared Services Partnership (SSP))

• Plans, issues, and manages procurement instruments, including contracts and amendments, for HC and PHAC.
• Liaises with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and Shared Services Canada (SSC) on procurement and contracting activities.
• Provides quality assurance, policy interpretation, and reporting related to procurement and asset management.
• Delivers departmental project management support, including governance, compliance oversight, and advisory services.
• Leads departmental investment planning, including prioritization, challenge, and governance processes.
• Manages the solutions fund and provide guidance on funding eligibility, governance, and reporting.

Legislative/Policy Requirements

• Financial Administration Act
• Directive on the management of procurement
• Directive on the management of materiel
• Policy on projects and programmes
• Policy on the planning and management of investments

Real Property Directorate

(support to PHAC through the Shared Services Partnership (SSP))

• Designated real property authority for HC and PHAC (except PHAC laboratories).
• Manages custodial assets and oversees facilities management.
• Provides building and tenant services, accommodations, and office space fit-up/modernization.
• Oversees laboratory operations and related infrastructure.
• Acts as owner/investor and center of expertise for infrastructure management.
• Leads project planning, project delivery, and strategic investment planning.
• Adapts and optimizes the space portfolio to meet organizational needs.
• Delivers reliable audio-visual services and mail operations.
• Handles crown asset disposals and stores management.
• Manages shipping and receiving services.

Legislative / Policy Requirements

• Financial Administration Act
• Federal Real Property and Federal Immovables Act
• Policy on the planning and management of investments
• Directive on the management of real property
• Directive on the management of materiel
• Directive on the management of procurement
• Directive on the management of projects and programmes

Departmental Submissions & Performance Measurement Directorate

(no direct support to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC))

• Obtain Chief Financial Officer attestation for Treasury Board Submissions, Memorandum to Cabinet and select regulatory packages.
• Review and validate quality of Treasury Board Submissions, reprofile requests, and amendments to terms and conditions, while serving as the departmental single-window to TBS' program sector.
• Maintain the Department's Results Framework and Program Inventory, oversee Performance Information Profiles and fulfill the duties of the head of performance measurement.
• Develop the Departmental Plan, Departmental Results Report, and the Head of Performance Measurement Report.
• Develop and maintain HC's corporate risk profile, and related guidance and policy.
• Oversee the department's risk and compliance process.
• Foster community development, official language obligations and advance workplace wellness initiatives.
• Branch communications and information management, including townhalls, intranet and branch awards and recognition programs.
• Coordinate branch planning processes (including PHAC requests) including business continuity.

Legislative / Policy Requirements

• Financial Administration Act
• Official Languages Act
• Official Languages Regulations
• Policy on financial management
• Policy on results
• Policy on official languages
• Policy on people management
• Directive on transfer payments
• Directive on talent and performance management
• Directive on the management of procurement
• Directive on the management of projects and programmes
• Policy on the planning and management of investments
• Treasury Board framework for the management of risk

Health Canada Financial Overview

• Health Canada's funding has adjusted over time to align with shifting priorities, notably expanding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and then for broader government commitments to the healthcare system.
• The introduction of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) led to a significant increase to operating authorities. In fiscal year 2025-26, $4.9B (40%) of Health Canada's authorities are allocated to administrating the CDCP and its associated benefits.
• Additionally, bilateral agreements signed with all 13 provinces and territories to advance four shared health priorities, committed $27.4B over 10 years. In 2025-26, this accounts for $4.7B (38%) of the department's authorities.
• [Redacted]

Health Canada Financial Overview – Authorities

Fiscal Year 2022-23 Year End Authorities

• Vote 1 – Operating – $1,602,401,457
• Vote 5 – Capital – $24,028,206
• Vote 10 – Grants & Contributions – $3,516,284,586
• Total Voted – $5,142,714,249
• Statutory – $474,029,045
• Grand Total – $5,616,743,294
• Total Lapse^{Footnote b}
  • Vote 1 – $579,520,611
  • Vote 5 - $5,006,352

Fiscal Year 2023-24 Year End Authorities

• Vote 1 – Operating – $1,432,087,742
• Vote 5 – Capital – $33,754,323
• Vote 10 – Grants & Contributions – $5,505,198,211
• Total Voted – $6,971,040,276
• Statutory – $566,473,809
• Grand Total – $7,537,514,085
• Total Lapse^{Footnote b}
  • Vote 1 - $184,164,351
  • Vote 5 - $3,593,096

Fiscal Year 2024-25 Year End Authorities

• Vote 1 – Operating – $3,406,604,326
• Vote 5 – Capital – $31,101,981
• Vote 10 – Grants & Contributions – $5,817,813,893
• Total Voted – $9,255,520,200
• Statutory – $304,055,973
• Grand Total – $9,559,576,173
• Total Lapse^{Footnote b}
  • Vote 1 - $488,714,078
  • Vote 5 - $4,663,065

Fiscal Year 2025-26 (authorities to date^{Footnote a})

• Vote 1 – Operating – $5,931,466,536
• Vote 5 – Capital – $36,757,634
• Vote 10 – Grants & Contributions – $6,076,274,753
• Total Voted – $12,045,485,131
• Statutory – $329,238,340
• Grand Total – $12,373,737,263

Health Canada Financial Overview – Revenue

[Redacted]

Health Canada Financial Overview - Grants & Contributions

Fiscal year 2025-26

• Provinces & territories (PTs) - $5,247.4M
• Multi-project programs (MPP) - $436.0M
• Pan-Canadian health organizations (PCHO) - $340.4M
• Other - $52.5M
• Total - 6,076,274,753

Health Canada Full Time Equivalents

• 2019-20 actual: 8,149
• 2020-21 actual: 8,628
• 2021-22 actual: 9,546
• 2022-23 actual: 9,750
• 2023-24 actual: 9,848
• 2024-25 actual: 9,808
• [Redacted]
• [Redacted]
• [Redacted]

CFOB 2025-26 Budget & Full Time Equivalents

Budget Authorities by Function

• Real Property Management Services $37,749,476 (45%)
• Financial Management Services $32,110,839 (38%)
• Material & Acquisition Management Services $6,919,225 (8%)
• Controlled Substances $3,101,195 (4%)
• Management & Oversight Services $2,355,729 (3%)
• Cannabis $1,906,165 (2%)
• Information Management Services $281,156 (0.3%)
• Total $84.4M

Full Time Equivalents by Directorate

• Financial Operations 164 FTEs (31%)
• Real Property 163 FTEs (30%)
• Resource Management & Advisory Services 89 FTEs (17%)
• Procurement & Investment Planning 79 FTEs (15%)
• Departmental Submissions & Performance Management 32 FTEs (6%)
• CFO Office 4 FTEs (1%)
• Total 531 FTEs

CFOB Key & Upcoming Files

Approvals & Tabling

• Supplementary Estimates (C), 2025-26
  • Briefing targeting week of January 19th
  • Documents for committee appearances (HESA, NFFN) to be provided, as required
• Main Estimates and Departmental Plan, 2026-27
  • Briefing targeting week of February 9th
  • Documents for committee appearances (HESA, NFFN) to be provided, as required
• [Redacted]

[Redacted]

Recent Reports & Publications

• Health Canada Fees Report Fiscal Year 2024-25
• Departmental Results Report Fiscal Year 2024-25
• Reporting under the Fighting against forced labour and child labour in Supply Chains Act 2024 to 2025
• Departmental Plan Fiscal Year 2025-26
• Health Canada Quarterly Financial Reports (2025-26)

11. Corporate Services Branch (CSB)

Organizational Structure

• Todd Cain, Assistant Deputy Minister
• Céline Henrie, Executive Director Access to Information and Privacy Services Directorate
• Dennis Caravoulias, Director General Human Resources Services Directorate
• Antoine Abourizk, Interim Director General Security Management Services Directorate
• Gaby Jabbour, Chief of Staff and Director Integrated Planning, Reporting and Performance
• Gladis Lemus, Director General Specialized Health Services Directorate
• Fabio Onesi, Director General Talent and Workplace Culture Directorate

Integrated Planning, Reporting and Performance Division

Key Role

• Located within ADMO, the IPRP division serves as CSB's focal point for strategic and operational planning, resource forecasting, financial analysis, investment planning, performance measurement, and corporate reporting.
• Serves as the single window for audits and evaluations that impact CSB and leads risk management and accountability activities.
• Provides expert costing analysis related to attesting to Memoranda to Cabinet and Treasury Board submissions implicating CSB.
• Leads CSB's response to high-profile cross-cutting initiatives and departmental priorities, including transitions.

Priorities

• Establish the division as a Centre of Excellence in operational planning by aligning resources, processes, communications, and stakeholder engagement with its evolving mandate and strategic direction.
• Leverage AI to enhance efficiency and foster a culture of performance excellence through a healthy, inclusive, and bilingual work environment that values diversity and respect.
• Key deliverables include 2026-27 branch operational plan, 2025-26 branch operational plan year-end report, and a branch performance measurement framework.

Access to Information and Privacy Services Directorate

Key Role

Support HC/PHAC in meeting legislative requirements under the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Acts:

• Process access to information requests
• Support privacy risk assessment and mitigation
• Lead privacy breach response
• Raise ATIP awareness
• Promote a culture of transparency
• Deliver annual reports to Parliament and the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS)
• Liaise with the Offices of the Information and the Privacy Commissioners (OIC/OPC)

Priorities

Core Priorities

• Modernize and streamline ATIP services to strengthen compliance and capacity.
• Support HC/PHAC in meeting privacy requirements, including guidance to programs such as the Canadian Dental Care Program and the Vaccine Injury Support Program.

Modernization Efforts

• Replace ATIP legacy system with modernized ATIPXpress system and a new privacy case management system by end of fiscal.

Program and Employee Support

• Improve the design and delivery of employee privacy training.
• Increase ATIP mySOURCE resources and lead awareness campaigns (data privacy, privacy awareness, and right to know weeks).

Compliance and Oversight

• Improve privacy impact assessment processes for stronger compliance with TBS policy.

Human Resources Services Directorate

Key Role

• Provide integrated human resources (HR) operations of client services, labour relations, executive group services, HR policy and occupational and psychological safety, as well as respect in the workplace.

Priorities

Talent Management & Executive Development

• Develop learning frameworks for science and regional executives, while building an executive learning and development framework to strengthen leadership capacity.

Streamlining and Automation

• Identify automation opportunities in classification, staffing, and in the career connections database.
• Test new digital processes to increase efficiency and reduce manual work.

Health, Safety & Well-Being

• Advance the psychological health and safety management system framework and roll out an occupational health and safety compliance strategy; strengthen workplace harassment and violence prevention programs.

Conflict of Interest (COI) Program

• Improve annual COI attestations and awareness communications.

Implementation of Workforce Adjustment (WFA)

• Plan and implement, on behalf of the Deputy Minister, work force adjustment-related activities.

Specialized Health Services Directorate

Key Role

• Deliver occupational and mental health services to federal departments through the Public Service Occupational Health Program (PSOHP) and Employee Assistance Services (EAS). This includes the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which offers 24/7 confidential, short-term mental health supports, on a cost-recovery basis, to over 90 federal organizations.
• These services help departments meet their requirements under the Policy on People Management and the Canada Labour Code to safeguard the health and safety of the workforce and workplace.

Priorities

[Redacted]

[Redacted]

PSOHP Budget Renewal and Evaluation

• Advancing work to support Budget 2027 renewal options and participating in a targeted evaluation led by the HC/PHAC Office of Audit and Evaluation.

Modernizing PSOHP Operations

• Re-aligning program roles and responsibilities, implementing new forms, and launching a client toolkit.

Employee Assistance Services Review

• Ensuring sustainability and maintaining readiness to support client departments during current period of workforce uncertainty.

Security Management Services Directorate

Key Role

• Provide operational services, security screening, investigation, physical security, and the protection of information, individuals and assets.
• Lead departmental business continuity management, event management, security planning, and performance management.
• Provide strategic direction to manage security in support of the trusted delivery of HC and PHAC programs and services, including the integration of security with science.

Priorities

Organization & Resourcing

• Revisiting the design and capacity of the SMSD organization.

Governance & Oversight

• Maturing robust security governance structures for physical security, lab security, and research oversight.

Processes & Procedures

• Review and modernize internal processes such as Department Security Plan exercises, revocation letters, investigations, and reporting.
• Develop standard operating procedures for greater consistency and efficiency.

Digital Tools & Automation

• Prepare to implement the SiteSecure system to security screen external personnel.
• Establishing automated case management practices.

[Redacted]

Talent and Workplace Culture Directorate

Key Role

• Provide service delivery of talent and workplace culture functions with a commitment to values and ethics, performance and talent management, retention, and learning.
• House the Centre of Expertise for Official Languages (OL) and the Accessibility Centre of Expertise.
• Provide support to ensure representation and inclusion of racialized communities and equity-seeking groups across all organizational levels.
• Deliver workforce analytics for strategic decision-making and manages enterprise HR systems (PeopleSoft/MyGCHR).
• Provide library services across HC and ensure access to scholarly material for both HC and PHAC.

Priorities

Learning and Talent Management

• Launch the learning hub and the manager and executive learning pathway and advance the development of a new talent management inventory.

Workplace Culture and Inclusion

• Consult on and implement the 2025-2028 Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism Action Plan, updated employment equity objectives, the 2025-2027 Black Executives Action Plan, and the joint HC and PHAC Indigenous Talent and Inclusion Action Plan.
• Work with employee networks to launch a new network model.

Data and Digital Transformation

• Develop the CSB Data Strategy, implement the MyGCHR upgrade, while maintaining current system alignment to TBS and MyGCHR priorities, and expand interactive workforce dashboards such as By the Numbers and MyWorkforce.

Official Languages and Training

• Operationalize a new language training program aligned with Treasury Board's strategy to strengthen bilingual capacity.

Accessibility and Values & Ethics

• Publish the 2026 Accessibility Progress Reports for HC and PHAC, consult on and finalize the associated Performance Management Framework, and provide support to managers and employees with disability-related accommodations through the Accessibility Service Centre.
• Launch a new values & ethics desktop icon and playbook for managers, refresh the values and ethics portal, and continue regular communication campaigns.

Annex A: HC-PHAC Shared Services Partnership (SSP)

The SSP Agreement was established in June 2012, following an Order in Council (2012-0965) pursuant to paragraph 2(a) of the Public Service Rearrangement and Transfer of Duties Act. The purpose of the SSP Agreement, [Redacted], is to reduce the overhead costs of internal services and encourage innovation in corporate management, program, and service delivery. Under the agreement, each partner organization is responsible for specific internal services and corporate functions, with accountability to both Deputy Heads.

Shared Services Under the Accountability of PHAC

• Accessibility
• Access to Information and Privacy
• Accommodations
• Communications
• Financial operations
• Human resources
• Informal conflict and resolution
• Information management and information technology
• International affairs services
• Material management and real property
• Privacy management
• Procurement
• Security
• Values and ethics

Shared Services Under the Accountability of PHAC

• Audit and evaluation
• Emergency management

Annex B: CSB Financial Overview

2025-26 P9 FSR Budget ($M)

• Salary and Operating (Vote 1) - 83.2
• ^{Footnote a}Revenue - 26.7
• Sub-Total - 109.9
• SSP Funding – 25.7
• Total – 135.6
• 2025-26 FTEs – 986.5

P9 FSR Budget by Function ($135.6M)

• Specialized Health services - $45.1M
• Human Resources - $31.3M
• Talent and Workplace Culture - $26.5M
• Security - $14.8M
• ATIP - $11.9M
• Management and Oversight - $6.0M

Annex C: CSB's Role: Memoranda to Cabinet and Treasury Board Submission Attestation

Role & Responsibilities

• As a functional area and Internal Services Branch, CSB reviews Memoranda to Cabinet (MC) and Treasury Board (TB) submissions and attests to financial and operational resources for internal services costed by program branches and branch Senior Financial Officers (BSFOs).
• As a functional area, CSB is also responsible in the review of the following appendices (when applicable): official languages, privacy, human resources, and security.
• CSB ADM attests only to Health Canada submissions.
• Select PHAC submissions require sign-off from the CSB ADM; CSB continues to review MCs and TB subs for CSB implications as it provides internal services to PHAC through the SSP.

Funding Implications

• Primary funding via corporate services formula (CSF):
  • Based on FTEs, Vote 1 (Operating), Vote 5 (Capital), Vote 10 (Grants & Contributions).
• Any funding in addition to the CSF (if required), is identified by CSB-BSFO and directorates during review.

Annex D: CSB Placemat

Corporate Services Branch

Todd Cain, Assistant Deputy Minister

Access to Information and Privacy Services – Céline Henrie

ATIP Operations

• Processes access to information and privacy requests and supports compliance with the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act.

Privacy Management

• Assistance and expert advice on Privacy Act and privacy-related TBS policies and directives.

Human Resources Services Directorate – Dennis Caravoulas

HR Policy

• HR Planning for HC and PHAC; departmental performance measurement; corporate reporting; classification policy; staffing policy.

Client Services

• Staffing; specialized recruitment and pool management; non-EX classification; program operations; HR-to-pay & student office; compensation/internal pay.

Labour Relations

• HC/PHAC operations; corporate labour relations, policies and programs; conflict of interest.

Occupational and Psychological Health and Safety

• HC and PHAC Occupational and Psychological Health & Safety (OPHS) Program operations; ergonomic services, and OPHS compensation services; OPHS corporate programs, policies, and compliance reporting; respect in the workplace office.

Executive Group Services

• EX Staffing; EX classification; EX performance & talent management; EX HR (workforce management) strategy; learning and development for leadership.

Security Management Services Directorate – Antoine Abourizk

Security Operations

• Security screening; investigation and regional security; physical security and the protection of information, individuals and assets.

Security Planning

• Business continuity & event management; security planning and performance management (i.e., building emergency evacuation program).

Strategic Security Policy

• Provides strategic direction to manage security in support of the trusted delivery of HC and PHAC programs and services.

Specialized Health Services Directorate – Gladis Lemus

Employee Assistance Services

• 24-hour crisis and referral, short-term psych support; trauma services, health and wellness info; psychosocial, occupational, critical incidents, and conflict management services.

Public Service Occupational Health Program

• Occupational health evaluations; communicable disease prevention and advice; occupational hygiene advice and consultations.

Policy and Strategic Direction

• Recruitment of contracted service providers; support to cost-recovery operations; policy, performance and data analytics.

Research & Innovation

• Research, project management, program modernization, support innovation.

Black-centric Enhancements to the Employee Assistance Program

• Initiative to strengthen relationships, gather feedback and develop Black-centric enhancements for Black federal employees accessing EAP as a trusted source for mental health support.

Talent & Workplace Culture Directorate – Fabio Onesi

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and Mental Health

• Promote and measure the representation and inclusion of equity-seeking groups; network secretariat for employee and manager networks; mental health programs, policies and initiatives.

Accessibility Centre of Expertise

• Strategic plans to support implementation of the Accessible Canada Act; Accessibility Service Centre (ASC), responsible for the duty to accommodate and disability management.

Centre for Learning, Outreach and Talent

• National learning programs, the corporate learning strategy, and mandatory training; performance and talent management; awards and recognition programs; support to science; internal communications, outreach and events.

Values and Ethics

• Create, build and launch a values and ethics program.

Official Languages Centre of Expertise

• Official languages program, plan, policies and complaints; language training tools and processes; equitable access to language training.

Data Analytics and Reporting + Business Transformation & Library Services

• Data reports and data analytics; PeopleSoft support and management; business renewal & transformation; IM/IT project guidance and planning; library services.

Integrated Planning, Reporting & Performance – Gaby Jabbour

Integrated Planning and Reporting

• Leads strategic and operational planning, reporting, and investment planning for the branch; manages responses to high-profile departmental priorities; coordinates CSB planning committee meetings for planners and senior advisors.

Performance, Accountability and Resource Management

• Manages branch performance measurement and financial analysis; provides costing analysis for Memoranda to Cabinet and Treasury Board submissions; oversees branch audits, evaluations, risk management, and accountability activities; integrates sex-and gender-based analysis plus principles.

12. Communications and Public Affairs Branch (CPAB)

CPAB Overview – What We Do

• CPAB is a full-service communications branch that directly supports HC and PHAC to deliver on their mandates through a Shared Services Partnership. This work helps to ensure that Canadians have access to the information they need to act on their health.
• CPAB provides a broad range of strategic communications services, including issues management, crisis and risk communications planning and delivery, media services, ministerial events, speechwriting, digital communications including web publishing and social media channel management, video and creative services, marketing and advertising, as well as services for public opinion research, consultations and stakeholder engagement.
• It leads internal communications functions for both HC and PHAC.
• It leads the correspondence function for HC and supports PHAC's correspondence work.
• It leads the reconsideration function for regulatory decisions through the Food and Drugs Act Liaison Office (FDALO).
• CPAB is the primary liaison with Privy Council Office (PCO) Communications and with communications staff in the Minister's Office for all communications issues.

CPAB Overview – About Us

• CPAB has 334 full-time equivalents in the National Capital Region and across six regions and a Vote 1 (including Shared Services Partnership) budget total of $53.6M with EBP in 2025-26. Resources are derived from A-base, the Shared Services Partnership, Treasury Board submissions, and PCO's Central Advertising Fund.
• CPAB leads communications efforts for 20 partner branches and offices at Health Canada and PHAC, plus engages actively with Legal Services, CIHR and CFIA communications groups.

CPAB Senior Executives

• Cathy Allison, Assistant Deputy Minister
• Renée Courtier, Director General Public Affairs Directorate
  • Patrycja Arkuszewski, Executive Director Digital Communications
• Jacquie Théoret, Director General, Ministerial Communications Directorate
• Heather Magee, Director General Strategic Communications Directorate
  • Laura Russo, Executive Director Public Health and Regulatory Communications
  • Katie Kenney, Executive Director Health Canada and CPHO Communications

Service Streams – Strategic Communications Directorate

Strategic Communications

• Provides HC and PHAC with strategic communications advice and planning aligned with ministerial, agency, departmental and client branch priorities.
• Prepares external communications strategies and products (e.g., news releases, media lines and social media) in support of departmental and ministerial announcements. In 2025:
  • 104 news releases / statements^{Footnote a} (74 for HC and 30 for PHAC) were published; and
  • 1,848 social media posts (1,032 for HC and 816 for PHAC) were posted, with a monthly average of just under 160.
• Conducts communications assessments of emerging issues and upcoming releases (e.g., responses to ATIs or OPQs, proactive disclosures, corporate plans and reports) and implements the mis- and disinformation strategy for both Health Canada and PHAC.
• Provides the CPHO with strategic communications advice, and supports their annual report to Parliament, public engagement and outreach to Canadians.

Risk Communications

• Prepares for and manage risk communications for public health emergencies in close partnership with the Health Portfolio operations centre, federal partners, and provinces and territories. This includes peer-reviewed research and the delivery of training through the Canada School of Public Service for all public servants.
• Communicates health and safety risks from HC and PHAC, including public health notices (e.g., infectious disease outbreaks), travel health notices to Canadians travelling in other countries, and advisories about health and consumer products.
• Leads the Recall and Safety Alerts Database, which is populated by HC, CFIA and Transport Canada, and contains advisories on food, pesticides, drugs and consumer products, as well as safety information on vehicles and child restraints.

Science Communications

• Supports science activities across the Health Portfolio and serves as a hub of science communication excellence. This includes a communications handbook for HC-PHAC scientists and researchers, and annual Deputy Minister science townhalls.
• Coordinates media training for scientists, offers plain language training as well as internal and external communication opportunities for HC-PHAC scientists and researchers.
• Effectively communicating about our science is valuable for both producers and users of science, especially when communicating with the public.

Service Streams – Ministerial Communications Directorate

Media Relations and Media Monitoring

• Makes strategic use of the media to communicate health information to Canadians.
• Develops and coordinates responses to media enquiries and interviews requests and provides issues management advice. In 2025:
  • 2,964 media calls were managed (1,903 for HC and 1,061 for PHAC); and
  • 158 media interviews were facilitated (72 for HC and 86 for PHAC).
• Pursues "detect and correct" on inaccuracies or errors in media articles, with 169 correction requests in 2025.
• Provides media training to subject matter experts and support to spokespersons during interviews with media.
• Provides monitoring, analysis and reporting on more than 100 traditional media, social media and online sources.

Ministerial Services

• Provides end-to-end support for ministerial events and announcements—including on-site coordination and logistics, material preparation, and speechwriting—in the NCR and regions.
• In 2025^{Footnote a}, Ministerial Services managed 175 speeches and 49 events.
• Manages the ministerial calendar of events and announcements and coordinates the approval, translation and distribution of communications products.

Internal Communications

• Facilitates the delivery and awareness of corporate priorities with internal audiences, including full logistical and messaging support for events led by the Deputy Heads, targeting all employees.
• Supports DM and President with speeches for town halls and other internal events and all-staff messages.
  • Between April 2024 and September 2025, 10 HC DH events, 12 PHAC DH events, 1 joint internal event and 120 all-staff messages were managed.
• Collects, triages and proposes DM engagement opportunities from branches and networks, and coordinates a centralized calendar for all-staff messaging (to ensure all-HC line of sight)
• Centre of expertise to enable branches and partners to undertake effective employee engagement and change management.
• Ensures managers have access to the latest corporate messaging via an evergreen key message library.
• Coordinates input for internal communications channels including daily Broadcast News and Health Television.

Executive Correspondence

• Provides a single window for Health Portfolio correspondence to and from the Minister and the Deputy Minister.
• More than 171,000 pieces of correspondence (including 148,732 campaign letters) were received between April 2024 and September 2025.

Service Streams – Public Affairs Directorate

Regional Communications

• CPAB recently transitioned to a national model, where all CPAB employees working outside of the NCR support CPAB priorities and activities across the country (e.g., a Ministerial event in their location) and act as surge capacity for small, dedicated regional teams in western and eastern hubs.
• Regional CPAB employees have four key areas of focus:
  • Regional issues management and crisis and emergency communications;
  • Ministerial, Parliamentarian and senior official events;
  • Media relations; and
  • PT and interdepartmental engagement.

Digital Communications

• Leads the Canada.ca/health presence and manage the integration of all HC and PHAC webpages to the Canada.ca environment.
• In 2025, HC and PHAC webpages had more than 41 million total visits.
• Manages over 52,000 live HC and PHAC webpages, including content coordination, and publishing. Received 5,644 digital publishing requests between April 2024 and September 2025. Removed 9,722 pages during this same period to reduce outdated content and the risk of mis- and disinformation.
• Leads the management and publishing of information to the HC and PHAC intranet (mySOURCE).
• Leads the administration of the Recalls and Safety Alerts System on behalf of eight regulatory programs at four departments/agencies.

Marketing, Advertising, and Partnerships

• Develops social marketing strategies including advertising, outreach and partnerships to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours and help reduce the risk of disease.
• This year, the team is developing 9 HC and 6 PHAC marketing and advertising campaigns with anticipated total budgets of approximately $12,166,000.

New Media and Digital Insights

• Provides design, publishing, video, copyright, printing and distribution services to all branches, and manages the Service Canada contract for the HC and PHAC 1-800 toll-free general inquiries lines.
• Manages all HC and PHAC social media channels comprised of 2.25M followers (as on November 2025) by developing strategies and content and engaging across our platforms including X (Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
• Provides web writing, digital performance measurement, optimization, user experience services.
• Produces analytical reporting that offers insights and key metrics to allow users to use data and evidence to support their decision-making.

Public Engagement and Public Opinion Research

• Provides full-service public opinion research (POR) contracted through external firms or using our own survey software (71 contracted POR projects and 66 internally managed surveys from April 2024-September 2025).
• Offers consultation expertise and services, from planning to implementation (23 consultations between April 2024-September 2025).
• Manages the Consultation and Stakeholder Information Management System (CSIMS), a stakeholder registry used by HC and PHAC clients to identify and contact stakeholders for 213 engagement activities between April 2024 and September 2025.
• Maintains the Health Canada policy on external advisory bodies (EABs) and provides support and advice on its application to HC EAB Secretariats.

Food and Drugs Act Liaison Office (FDALO)

• Housed in CPAB, FDALO is an impartial, arm's-length body that provides information and dispute-resolution services to improve relations between external stakeholders and representatives of Health Canada, as well as to increase openness and transparency in the regulatory process.
• Administers the reconsideration process for the Pharmaceutical Drugs Directorate, Biologic and Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Directorate, and the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate.
  • Actively managed 416 cases between April 2024 and September 2025.
• Builds staff competency in managing difficult communications with stakeholders.
  • Between April 2024 and September 2025, FDALO offered training to 271 participants coming from Health Canada and from the community of federal regulators.

13. Office of Audit and Evaluation (OAE)

Objectives

To provide an overview of:

• The Office of Audit and Evaluation
• Recently completed internal audits
• Recently completed evaluations
• Planned internal audits
• Planned evaluations
• External audits

OAE Overview

OAE provides independent and objective advice and assurance to senior management within Health Canada (HC) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) on the adequacy and effectiveness of risk management, controls, and governance, as well as the relevance and effectiveness of programs.

Internal Audit and Special Examinations

• Internal auditing provides independent, risk-based assurance that an organization's governance processes, risk management, and internal controls are operating as intended by senior management and will help the organization achieve its objectives. We also provide special examination services for allegations of fraud or loss of money.

Program Evaluation and Internal Disclosure

• Evaluations involve the collection and analysis of evidence to assess the performance of programs, initiatives and policies in a systematic and neutral way, as well as provide considerations for how programs can be improved. We also ensure a secure and confidential process for disclosing serious wrongdoing in the workplace.

Practice Management

• The practice management team is responsible for quality assurance, the governance of audit and evaluation committees, liaising and coordinating with external assurance providers, and following up on action plans to respond to recommendations.

Policy Backdrop

• The Government of Canada's policy requirements for audit and evaluation are primarily outlined in the policy on internal audit and the policy on results.
• The policy on internal audit ensures that the oversight of public resources is informed by a professional and objective internal audit function that is independent of departmental management. This function provides assurance as to whether government activities are managed in a way that demonstrates responsible stewardship, including sound risk management, control and governance processes.
• The Policy on Results (2016) aims to improve the achievement of results across federal departments by ensuring that performance information and evaluation are integral to management and expenditure decision-making.
• Departments need to plan each year to identify which evaluations are needed over a five-year period. This includes evaluating (according to the Financial Administration Act) all ongoing grants and contributions programs with funding over $5 million per year, as well as those required by legislation or Treasury Board commitments.

How We Do Our Work (Audit)

Conduct Risk-Based Audit Planning

• Development of plan (aligned with TB's Policy on Internal Audit and Institute of Internal Auditor's Global Internal Audit Standards).
• Consultation with senior management within each branch.
• DAC's recommendation for Deputy Head approval of final plan.

Conduct Audit and Advisory Engagements

• Terms of reference are shared with the office of primary interest (OPI).
• Preliminary findings are presented to OPI for fact validation.
• All draft reports go through a rigorous internal quality assurance process.

Report Results of Engagements

• Final audit reports and the management response and action plan (MRAP) are presented to EC and DAC for review and feedback.
• Report is submitted to Deputy Head for approval.

Publish Audit Reports

• Audit Reports are published on a dedicated Health Canada or Public Health Agency of Canada website within 90 business days of Deputy Head approval.
• Audit Reports are sent to TBS after Deputy Head approval.

Follow up on Management Response and Action Plans

• Semi-annually, the Deputy Head and DAC are informed of the status of MRAP progress.

How We Do Our Work (Evaluation)

Conduct Evaluation Planning

• Determination of requirements (FAA and TB Submissions).
• Consultation with programs and central agencies.
• Confirmation with PMEC and Deputy Head approval of plan.

Conduct Evaluations

• Develop scope of evaluation (activities covered and questions asked) with program and presented to PMEC for endorsement.
• Present preliminary findings to PMEC for endorsement or gap identification.

Report Evaluation Results

• Final reports are presented to PMEC for endorsement.
• The Program is responsible to present the management response and action plan (MRAP).
• Report is submitted to Deputy Head for approval.

Publish Evaluation Reports

• Reports are sent to TBS within 14 days of Deputy Head approval.
• Reports are published on a dedicated Health Canada or Public Health Agency of Canada website within 120 days.

Follow up on Management Response and Action Plans

• Semi-annual follow up process to ensure management commitments are proceeding as planned
• Annually, the Deputy Head and PMEC are informed of the status of MRAP progress

Recently Complete Internal Audits

The following internal audits include an approved management response and action plan (MRAP) to respond to the areas identified for improvement. These MRAPs are followed up semi-annually by OAE who assesses, tracks, and reports on the completion of the MRAPs. We also provided consultancy services.

Health Canada

• Audit of project management at HC – July 2025
• Advisory for the Canadian Dental Care Plan – March 2025
• Audit of internal controls over financial management at HC – November 2024
• Audit of drug shortage reporting, monitoring, and compliance activities – May 2024

Joint-PHAC and HC

• Audit of information management – July 2025
• Review of the Shared Services Partnership – April 2025
• Audit of occupational health and safety – March 2025

Public Health Agency of Canada

• Audit of sex and gender-based analysis plus implementation – June 2025
• Audit of cybersecurity at the National Microbiology Lab (NML) – November 2024
• Audit of safe voluntary isolation sites program – October 2024
• Audit of internal controls over financial management at PHAC – October 2024
• Audit of the management of intellectual property at PHAC – September 2024
• Audit of conflict of interest at PHAC – June 2024

Recently Completed Evaluations

The following evaluations include an approved management response and action plan (MRAP) to respond to the areas identified for improvement. These MRAPs are followed up semi-annually by OAE who assesses, tracks, and reports on the completion of the MRAPs. We also provided consultancy services.

Health Canada

• Evaluation of the radiation protection activities – March 2025
• Evaluation of the Biologic and Radio-pharmaceutical Drugs Program – March 2025
• Evaluation of Health Canada's Safe Restart Agreement Contribution Program – March 2025
• Evaluation of the Canadian Thalidomide Survivors Support Program – March 2025
• Evaluation of the Food and Nutrition Program – March 2025

Joint Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada

• Evaluation of Health Portfolio's tobacco and vaping activities – December 2025
• Review of the employee network funding model at PHAC and Health Canada (consultancy) – January 2025
• Review of the Office of International Affairs' health counsellor function (consultancy) – March 2024

Public Health Agency of Canada

• [Redacted]
• Evaluation of Health Canadians and Communities Fund – November 2025
• Evaluation of Intersectoral Action Fund – November 2025
• Evaluation of mental health activities – June 2025
• Evaluation of vaccination activities – April 2025
• Review of PHAC's journal (consultancy) - January 2025
• Evaluation of data modernization – November 2024
• Evaluation of emergency preparedness and response activities – November 2024
• Evaluation of the preventing and addressing family violence: the health perspective program – November 2024
• Lessons Learned on PHAC's COVID-19 response – November 2023

External Audits

OAG – Office of the Auditor General

[Redacted]

Recently Published

• Audit of the 2024-25 Consolidated Financial Statements of the Government of Canada (November 7, 2025)
• Audit of professional services contracts, Part II (June 10, 2025)
• Update on past audits: pandemic preparedness (July 2, 2025)
• Update on past audits: toxic substances (July 2, 2025)

CESD – Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

[Redacted]

Recently Published

• Audit on National Adaptation Strategy (June 10, 2025)

Annex A: Planned Audits

Health Canada:

• Audit of Inspection Activities at HC – Winter 2026
• Audit of Grants and Contributions – Spring 2026
• Audit of Overtime at HC – Summer 2026

Joint-PHAC and HC:

• Audit of IT Procurement and Contracting – Spring 2026
• Audit of Governance and Strategic Planning of IT – Spring 2026
• Audit of Real Property Management – Winter 2027
• Audit of Access to Information (ATIP) – Winter 2027

Public Health Agency of Canada:

• Audit of Project Management at PHAC – Winter 2026
• Audit of Overtime at PHAC – Summer 2026
• Audit of Regional Operations at PHAC – Summer 2026
• Audit of Investment Planning at PHAC – Winter 2027

Annex A: Planned Evaluations

The following evaluations are in progress or will start by March 31, 2026.

Health Canada

• Evaluation of Medical Devices Program – December 2024 to January 2026
• Evaluation of Public Service Occupational Health Program – June 2025 to June 2026
• Evaluation of International Protected Persons Program – September 2025 to September 2026
• Evaluation of health care initiatives for vulnerable populations – September 2025 to September 2026
• Evaluation of Workplace Hazardous Products Program – January 2026 to January 2027

Public Health Agency of Canada

• Evaluation of infectious diseases and climate change – December 2024 to January 2026
• Evaluation of PHAC's Maternal and Child Health Programs – January 2025 to March 2026
• Evaluation of Border and Travel Health Program – June 2025 to June 2026
• Evaluation of NML medical countermeasures capacity – September 2025 to September 2026
• Evaluation of health care-associated infections – January 2026 to January 2027
• Evaluation of Aboriginal Head Start and Northern Communities – January 2026 – May 2027

Health Canada Horizontals

• Climate Change (led ECCC) – underway until March 2027
• Oceans Protection Plan (led by Transport Canada) – January 2026 – March 2027
• Advancing circulate economy for plastics (led by ECCC) – February 2026 – March 2027

[Redacted]

Annex B: Departmental Audit Committee

About the Departmental Audit Committee (DAC)

The DAC, under Treasury Board Secretariat's Policy on Internal Audit, is an advisory body which:

• Provides advice and recommendations to the deputy head on sufficiency, quality and results of internal audit engagements, and on matters as requested by the deputy head.
• Reviews management, control, and accountability processes using a risk-based approach.

DAC's areas of responsibility

• Values and ethics, risk management, management control framework, internal audit function, external assurance providers, follow-up on management response and action plans, financial and accountability reporting.

DAC Membership

• Comprised of a majority of external members
• Internal members:
  • Deputy Minister;
  • Associate Deputy Minister;
  • Chief Financial Officer; and
  • Chief Audit and Evaluation Executive.

Scheduled 2025 DAC Meetings

• February 11, 2026 (preceded by a visit of Health Canada laboratories on February 10, 2026)

Annex C: Organizational Structure

• Abdillahi Roble, Chief Audit and Evaluation Executive
• Amanda Hayne-Farrell, Executive Director Program Evaluation and Internal Disclosure
  • Stéphanie Roberge, Director Practice Management
• Pascal Robert, Executive Director Internal Audit and Special Examinations

14. Health Legal Services

Mandate

Health Legal Services provides support to Health Canada, PHAC and CIHR

• Employs approximately 48 counsel, 11 paralegals and 16 support staff, including finance, HR, and administrative support.
• Delivers services through a mix of co-located counsel and specialized experts located within Justice.
• Contributes to the important work of the Health Portfolio by:
  • playing a key role in the development, interpretation and application of the legislative framework for which the Minister of Health is responsible
  • playing a key role in identifying and managing the legal risks inherent in HC, PHAC and CIHR activities
  • defending in court the actions and decisions of HC, PHAC, CIHR officials.

Organizational Structure

We strive to provide client-centric and high-quality legal services.

• François Nadeau, Executive Director and Senior General Counsel
• Denise Oliver, Director and General Counsel
  • Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety
  • Controlled Substances and Cannabis
• Matthew Zadro, Director and General Counsel
  • Claims and class actions
  • Oral Health Branch
  • Corporate Affairs
• Vanessa Brochet, Director and General Counsel
  • Health Products and Food
  • Pest Management Regulatory Agency
  • Regulatory Operations and Enforcement

[Redacted]

[Redacted]

Legislation and Decision Making in the Health Portfolio

15. Legislation

Health Canada

Public Health Agency of Canada

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Patented Medicine Prices Review Board

16. Overview of Legislative and Regulatory Responsibilities

Introduction

In Canada, health is an area of shared jurisdiction. Under the Constitution Act, 1867, provincial responsibilities include the establishment, maintenance and management of hospitals, local matters, and property and civil rights. Over time, courts have interpreted these constitutional provisions to mean that provinces and territories (PTs) are primarily responsible for health care delivery, administration of provincial health insurance plans, and regulation of health professions.

Federal authorities in health are grounded in the federal government's constitutional responsibilities for criminal law and taxation, and the federal spending power. These responsibilities provide the basis for helping to protect the health and safety of Canadians through the regulation of drugs, food, medical devices, controlled substances, cannabis, tobacco and vaping products, consumer products and cosmetics, pest control products, and medical assistance in dying.

Parliament also has the authority to spend money raised through taxation, and to attach terms and conditions to the authorized spending. Accordingly, the Canada Health Act establishes the criteria and conditions PT health insurance plans must meet to receive their full cash entitlement under the Canada Health Transfer.

Rooted in the "peace, order and good government" provisions of the Constitution, the federal government also has crucial functions in relation to national health emergencies, and where public health matters are issues of national concern. Since the 1970s, federal power in public health has been interpreted to also include efforts in health research and promotion, disease prevention and health information.

Several other federal responsibilities include health elements, not all of which fall within the purview of the Health Portfolio. This includes economic powers related to trade, commerce, patents, and drugs; ensuring a robust and economically strong pharmaceutical, medical devices and technologies sector; foreign affairs and immigration that relate to migration health (e.g., admission of foreign nationals with international credentials, and relations with international bodies and foreign governments); and supplementary benefits and health services for certain populations (First Nations and Inuit, refugees, military). Recent initiatives also include the development of permanent legislative frameworks for social programs with important health dimensions, such as the forthcoming National School Food Program legislation, which sits outside the Health Portfolio but contributes to broader federal efforts to support population health.

Health Portfolio Legislation and Regulation

There are legislative mechanisms that the government can use to meet its desired objectives, including Acts (statutes), Regulations, and Orders in Council, all of which are relevant in the Health Portfolio context.

The Minister of Health is responsible for the administration and enforcement of approximately 40 Acts (and their associated regulations) that have a direct impact on the health and safety of Canadians.

Enabling Statutes

Five of the Acts are enabling statutes, for which the Minister is responsible. They create and provide the basis of the activities of the Portfolio organizations:

• Department of Health Act (Health Canada): Promotion of the physical, social, and mental well-being of Canadians.
• Public Health Agency of Canada Act (Public Health Agency of Canada): Taking public health measures, identifying and reducing public health risk factors, and supporting national readiness for public health threats.
  • This Act mandates the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Chief Public Health Officer to assist the Minister of Health "in exercising or performing the Minister's powers, duties and functions of public health", which includes public health emergency preparedness and response.
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act (Canadian Food Inspection Agency): Setting safety standards for food sold in Canada, as well as enforcing the food provisions of the Food and Drugs Act.
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research Act (Canadian Institutes of Health Research): Creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system.
• Patent Act (Patented Medicine Prices Review Board): Regulates the pricing of patented drugs.

Assigned Statutes

In addition to the enabling statutes, the Minister of Health is responsible for several assigned statutes that provide further legislative frameworks, national strategies, and regulatory controls for the Health Portfolio. Some vital assigned statutes include:

• Canada Health Act: Canada's federal legislation on insured health services, which defines the national principles that govern the Canadian health care system and aims to "… protect, promote and restore the physical and mental well-being of residents of Canada and to facilitate reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers." It establishes the criteria and conditions provincial and territorial health insurance plans must meet to receive their full cash entitlements under the Canada Health Transfer. In 2025, the federal government also introduced the Canada Health Act Services Policy, which clarifies that medically necessary "physician-equivalent" services provided by other regulated health professionals must be covered by provincial and territorial health insurance plan.
• Emergency Management Act: under this Act, the Minister of Health has specific responsibilities to identify risks pertinent to their mandate and to develop plans to address these risks. The Chief Public Health Officer also has explicit responsibilities in the emergency management legislation. Emergency plans have been developed by the Health Portfolio that address a variety of public health risks (e.g., pandemic influenza, foodborne illness, nuclear disasters).
• Quarantine Act: to prevent the introduction and spread of communicable diseases in Canada, the Quarantine Act gives the Minister (and designated officials) the power to take comprehensive public health measures. The Quarantine Act also provides the Governor in Council the authority to issue emergency orders prohibiting or imposing conditions on travelers entering Canada.
• Food and Drugs Act: primary legislation governing the safety, quality, and labelling of food, drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices in Canada. This Act aims to protect public by ensuring that products are safe for use, provides the legal basis for inspections, product recalls, and enforcement actions.

There are also assigned statutes that establish federal frameworks (e.g., palliative care, Lyme disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act) or national strategies (e.g., dementia), which confer specific responsibilities on the Minister of Health. The balance of the assigned statutes relevant to the Health Portfolio set out responsibilities to be carried out by the Minister of Health in the context of regulating food, pharmaceutical drugs, tobacco and vaping products, pest control products, medical devices, biologics, human toxins and pathogens, radiation-emitting devices, and consumer products and cosmetics.

There are significant differences in the nature of these various regulatory regimes. However, some principles of decision-making are common to many of the Acts for which the Minister of Health is identified as exercising a role. The following section sets out some fundamental principles.

"Powers, Duties, and Functions" in Legislation

Most Acts of Parliament and associated regulations are administered by individual Ministers, and this responsibility can include a variety of powers, duties, and functions. Depending on the legislation or regulations, the responsible Minister can be named in the Act itself or designated by the Governor in Council (i.e., Cabinet). In all cases, the Minister of Health would still be involved in setting overall policy direction for regulatory programs, developing regulations, and approving regulations recommended to the Governor in Council.

The Department of Health Act provides that the Minister "has the management and direction of the department" and must "coordinate the activities of, and establish strategic priorities for, any board or agency for which the Minister is responsible and may, subject to any terms and conditions that the Minister considers appropriate, delegate those powers, duties and functions to the Deputy Minister of Health".

"Powers, Duties and Functions" of the Deputy Minister of Health

The Deputy Minister of Health is appointed by the Governor in Council on the Prime Minister's recommendation and holds office pursuant to s. 3 of the Department of Health Act. The Deputy Minister acts under the direction of the Minister, who maintains responsibility for the overall management and control of the Department of Health. The powers, duties and functions of the Deputy Minister are derived from four main sources of law:

1. The general and implicit power to act on behalf of the Minister

   According to s. 24 of the Interpretation Act, words in legislation directing or empowering a Minister of the Crown to do an act or thing include the deputy minister and appropriately situated departmental officials. This authority recognizes that a Minister is not required to exercise all of their statutory powers personally but is assisted by departmental officials for that purpose.

2. Powers delegated by the Minister to the deputy head through legislation

   Many powers and responsibilities are delegated to the Deputy Minister by the Minister through specific provisions in various pieces of legislation. For instance, s. 34 of the Financial Administration Act requires that the Minister authorize the person or positions who are responsible for the payment, certification and verification of financial expenditures in the department. Other legislation such as the Privacy Act (s. 71) or the Access to Information Act (s. 73) provides that the Minister may delegate powers to the deputy head.

3. Powers directly vested in deputy heads by legislation

   As a deputy head, the Deputy Minister of Health has specific powers and responsibilities that stem directly from legislation. For instance, the Financial Administration Act imposes specific obligations for commitment control (s. 32), maintenance of adequate records in relation to public property (s. 62) and ensuring appropriate internal audit capacity (s.16.1).

   A deputy head also has numerous direct powers and responsibilities in human resources management stemming from the Financial Administration Act, the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act and the Public Service Employment Act.

4. Powers delegated to the Deputy Minister by others

   The authority to appoint under the Public Service Employment Act belongs to the Public Service Commission, but has been delegated to the Deputy Minister for positions within the Department of Health (s. 15 of the Public Service Employment Act). Order in Council (P.C. 1991/1695) provides that Treasury Board may authorize deputy heads to make ex gratia payments. As such, the Deputy Minister may do so for the Department of Health.

Who Makes Regulatory Decisions?

Depending on the legislation, the authority to make decisions may be specifically assigned to the Minister, to other individuals (such as designated inspectors), or, occasionally, to the Governor in Council. The following section explains how these different types of decision-making authorities work.

A. The Minister of Health

Decisions Made by the Minister or on the Minister's Behalf

Decision-making authority in legislation often resides with the Minister. In the Health Portfolio context, this authority encompasses many possible kinds of regulatory decisions, and on any given day, many of these decisions are made as part of administering the department's programs. Given the volume of decisions to be made and technical knowledge and expertise required, Ministers typically delegate or designate certain authorities to officials. (In 2024, Health Canada issued more than 2,300 regulatory decisions on drugs and health products alone.) This is a common management practice for all regulatory departments.

Ministerial Decision-Making Authority Where a Delegation Order is Required

In some specific instances, legislation may include specific provisions that allow the Minister, as head of the institution, to make an order delegating particular powers, duties and functions to officers or employees of the institution (or to another institution within the Portfolio). Relevant examples in the context of the Health Portfolio include the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

B. Other Officials

Many Acts confer decision-making powers explicitly on individuals other than the Minister. For example, inspection powers (such as entry, examination of records, detention of substances, etc.) can only be exercised by a designated "inspector" in the Food and Drugs Act, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act.

Under the Quarantine Act, a "quarantine officer" decides whether to require health assessments of individuals suspected of carrying a communicable disease. The Chief Public Health Officer is responsible for making certain decisions under emergency orders issued under the Quarantine Act, including granting exemptions for essential workers and taking immediate public health measures to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of communicable diseases by imposing conditions on exempt persons.

In these instances, the Minister may request a briefing in relation to the decision-making process and discuss the decision with officials, but may not make, nor is directly involved in, the decision itself.

C. Independent Tribunals

Some statutes create tribunals that operate independently of a Minister. One such example in the Health Portfolio is the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB). The PMPRB is an independent, quasi-judicial body established under the Patent Act. The PMPRB determines whether the patented drug price set by the manufacturer is excessive and if so, can order price reductions and/or the offset of excess revenues. PMPRB also has the authority to issue non-binding guidelines regarding its administration, however, before issuing any such guidelines, it is required to consult with the Minister of Health, as well as other stakeholders.

Although the PMPRB carries out its mandate at arms-length from the Minister of Health and is independent of Health Canada, the Patent Act sets out several roles for the Minister of Health in relation to the PMPRB. This includes recommending new regulations or amending regulations to the Governor in Council in relation to the PMPRB regime, and entering into agreements with any province to disburse funds collected by the PMPRB.

D. Governor in Council (Cabinet)

Legislation allows the Governor in Council to exercise decision-making power. An example of this in the Health Portfolio are emergency orders that can be made by the Governor in Council under the Quarantine Act, which prohibit or impose conditions on persons entering Canada. This can be done, for example, if a person arrives from a country that has an outbreak of a communicable disease that could pose a threat to Canadians, and there are no reasonable alternatives to prevent the introduction or spread of the disease. Under the Pest Control Products Act, the Governor in Council may establish an order to cancel or amend the registration of a pest control product if considered necessary to implement an international agreement. Neither the Minister nor departmental officials may make these types of decisions on Cabinet's behalf.

17. Regulatory oversight of products

Canada introduces hundreds of new products yearly. The Health Portfolio works to improve Canadians' health through access to pharmaceuticals while protecting them from unsafe products (e.g. illegal opioids and tobacco).

All health products, consumer goods, chemicals, radiation devices, pesticides and food sold in Canada must meet Health Canada's strict regulatory standards. The Health Portfolio regulates thousands of products through various Acts and regulations, while also protecting Canadians from infectious diseases by regulating facilities that handle human pathogens and toxins.

The review process varies by risk level. High-risk items (e.g. pharmaceuticals), certain foods and pesticides undergo both pre-market oversight (clinical trials, formula testing, exposure modeling) and post-market monitoring (safety surveillance, recalls). Lower-risk items (e.g. consumer products and most foods) are managed through post-market measures including industry guidelines, safety standards, proactive testing and inspections to ensure compliance.

An overview of the regulatory tools that are used to review, assess and monitor products is outlined below.

Item #1

Regulatory tool:

Prescription drugs and non-prescription products (human and veterinary use)

Pre-market (before a product is on the market):

Health Canada conducts scientific reviews of drugs for:

• Safety
• Quality
• Efficacy

Post-market (once a product is already on the market):

Health Canada:

• Monitors ongoing drug safety and efficacy/effectiveness
• Monitors adverse events
• Inspects facilities where the drug is produced
• Investigates complaints
• Conducts enforcement activities
• Surveillance
• Orders a recall when necessary

Item #2

Regulatory tool:

Natural Health Products

Pre-market (before a product is on the market):

Health Canada reviews products on a risk basis for:

• Safety
• Quality
• Efficacy

Post-market (once a product is already on the market):

Health Canada:

• Monitors adverse events
• Investigates complaints
• Conducts enforcement activities
• Orders a recall when necessary

Item #3

Regulatory tool:

Medical Devices

Pre-market (before a product is on the market):

Health Canada reviews devices on a risk basis for:

• Safety
• Quality
• Efficacy

Post-market (once a product is already on the market):

Health Canada:

• Monitors the safety of devices
• Inspects facilities where devices are produced
• Orders a recall when necessary
• Conducts enforcement activities
• Investigates complaints

Item #4

Regulatory tool:

Biologics and Radiopharmaceuticals

Pre-market (before a product is on the market):

Health Canada reviews biologics and radiopharmaceuticals for:

• Safety
• Quality
• Efficacy

Post-market (once a product is already on the market):

Health Canada:

• Monitors ongoing drug safety and effectiveness
• Monitors adverse events
• Inspects manufacturing plants where the drug is produced
• Investigates complaints
• Does surveillance
• Conducts enforcement activities
• Orders a recall when necessary

Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC):

• Does surveillance (e.g. vaccine-related adverse event surveillance)

Item #5

Regulatory tool:

Pathogens and Toxins

Pre-market (before a product is on the market):

PHAC:

• Licences and inspects facilities working with higher risk microorganisms and toxins for safety, security, and compliance with regulations Can include manufacturing facilities storing precursor drug materials as well as research facilities.
• Support emergency preparedness, planning and response, as well as biosecurity and biosafety in laboratories that fall within the purview of the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act.

Health Canada:

• Premarket oversight starts when the pathogen or toxin is part of an authorized drug formulation or clinical trial drug active ingredient.

Post-market (once a product is already on the market):

Health Canada:

Oversight applies post-market dependent on the final product under development (e.g. authorized biologic drug, food, pesticide, medical device, pharmaceutical drug, etc.).

Item #6

Regulatory tool:

Food

Pre-market (before a product is on the market):

Health Canada:

• Conducts pre-market assessments of food additives, novel foods, infant formula, human milk fortifiers and new supplemented food categories and ingredients.
• Provides opinions, upon request by manufactures, on the chemical safety of food packaging materials, food processing aids and incidental additives.

PHAC:

• Monitors trends in antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in selected bacterial organisms from healthy animals on farm and at slaughter through the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS). Links antimicrobials used in food-animals with the associated health impact.

Post-market (once a product is already on the market):

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA):

• Enforces legislation for food safety and consumer protection
• Inspects regulated parties that trade inter-provincially and internationally
• Inspects foods and their labels to ensure compliance with Canadian food regulations, including front-of-package labeling
• Investigates complaints
• Manages food recalls
• Tests food products for safety, including contaminants and pathogen testing
• Conducts research to develop and enhance methods used for testing of food.

Health Canada:

• Provides regulatory oversight post-market through establishment of food standards, policies and guidelines
• Conducts health risk assessments and provides the results to the CFIA for appropriate follow-up/risk management action
• Undertakes studies/research to identify and assess risks from chemical and microbial hazards as well as nutrition adequacy
• Provides national reference services for foodborne pathogens
• Collects data on food consumption and containment levels to support risk analysis, research and standard setting activities
• Assesses Canadians' exposure to contaminants (e.g., Canadian Community Health Survey, Canadian Health Measures Survey, Total Diet Study).

Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC):

• Monitors and enforces food safety and the potability of water on passenger conveyances (e.g., airplanes, cruise ships, passenger trains)
• Conducts surveillance of enteric diseases through the National Enteric Surveillance Program and PulseNet Canada (detection and investigation of foodborne illnesses), and through FoodNet Canada to identify risks to the health of Canadians through the food chain
• Supports provinces in transitioning to whole genome sequencing to improve detection of outbreaks and characterization of pathogens
• Monitors trends in antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in selected bacterial organisms from human, animal and food sources across Canada through CIPARS.

Item #7

Regulatory tool:

Consumer Products and Cosmetics

Pre-market (before a product is on the market):

Health Canada:

• No pre-market regulatory oversight

Post-market (once a product is already on the market):

Health Canada:

• Reviews cosmetic notifications to verify whether prohibited or restricted ingredients are being used in cosmetics
• Monitors and tests products on the market for safety and compliance with regulations
• Authorizes recalls on products deemed unsafe
• Monitors and assesses safety incidents associated with consumer products and cosmetics
• Conducts enforcement activities.

Item #8

Regulatory tool:

Chemical Substances

Pre-market (before a product is on the market):

Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada:

• Assess the potential human health and environmental impacts of new chemical substances
• Introduce control measures as appropriate

Public Health Agency of Canada

• Supports assessments for pathogens and toxins

Post-market (once a product is already on the market):

Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada:

• Assess the risks of existing chemical substances
• Take appropriate risk management action when warranted

Item #9

Regulatory tool:

Pesticides

Pre-market (before a product is on the market):

Health Canada:

• Evaluates whether a pesticide can be used safely and effectively for its intended use without harming human health or the environment
• Pre-market Product Reviews: scientific assessments are conducted to help ensure risks to the health of Canadians and the environment are acceptable and that the product has value (e.g., will meet a need to control a pest problem)
• Pesticides must be registered or otherwise authorized before they can be sold or used in Canada.

Post-market (once a product is already on the market):

Health Canada:

• Initiates special reviews if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the health and environmental risks posed by the product may no longer be acceptable.
• Conducts compliance and enforcement activities
• To ensure that pesticides meet modern standards for protection of health and the environment, all pesticides must have re-evaluations initiated on a 15-year cycle. Budget 2025 proposes amendments to the Pest Control Products Act that would replace the existing 15-year cyclical re-evaluation requirement with a continuous, risk-based oversight model.
• Pesticide manufacturers are required to report an incident involving the possible use of their products, new scientific studies identifying new risks, and volumes of products sold in Canada.

Item #10

Regulatory tool:

Controlled Substances

Pre-market (before a product is on the market):

Health Canada:

• Administers licences for registered dealers (i.e. businesses authorized to handle controlled substances)
• Issues import and export permits for controlled substances or products containing controlled substances
• Inspects licensed dealers to ensure compliance with security and other requirements
• Administers exemptions allowing controlled substances to be used for scientific or medical purposes, or in the public interest

Post-market (once a product is already on the market):

Health Canada:

• Inspects licensed dealers and pharmacies
• Monitors reported loss, theft, and suspicious transactions
• Promotes compliance with regulations
• Reviews and addresses complaints
• Issues warning letters
• Conducts enforcement activities including, suspending or revoking licences, permits or exemptions

Item #11

Regulatory tool:

Precursor Chemicals

Pre-market (before a product is on the market):

Health Canada:

• Administers licences and registrations for Class A, essential chemical compounds to the illegal manufacture of drugs, licensed dealers and Class B, common essential reagents in the illegal manufacture of drugs, registered dealers
• Issues import and export permits for Class A precursor chemicals or products containing them
• Inspects licensed dealers to ensure compliance with security and other requirements prior to receiving a licence and also during the time they hold a licence

Post-market (once a product is already on the market):

Health Canada:

• Inspects licensed dealers
• Monitors reported loss, theft and suspicious transactions
• Compliance promotion of regulations
• Reviews and addresses complaints
• Issues warning letters
• Conducts enforcement activities including suspending or revoking licences, permits or registrations

Item #12

Regulatory tool:

Tobacco and vaping products

Pre-market (before a product is on the market):

Health Canada:

• No pre-market regulatory oversight

Post-market (once a product is already on the market):

Health Canada:

• Monitors and assesses safety incidents associated with vaping products
• Conducts compliance and enforcement activities, which includes inspections to verify compliance with the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) and its Regulations. For example, labelling and packaging requirements for tobacco and vaping products, nicotine concentration limits for vaping.
• Ensures compliance with the Canadian Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA) (for example, requirement for child-resistant closures for vaping products, ignition propensity standard for cigarettes)

Item #13

Regulatory tool:

Cannabis

Pre-market (before a product is on the market):

Health Canada:

• Requires cannabis licence holders to meet good production practices for cannabis products, physical security and personnel security requirements prior to operating
• Requires cannabis licence holders to notify the department at least 60 calendar days before selling a new cannabis product not previously sold in Canada, excluding cannabis plants or seeds
• Requires industrial hemp licence holders to commercially cultivate only hemp varieties found on the list of approved cultivars
• Issues import and export permits for cannabis and industrial hemp under the Cannabis Act.

Post-market (once a product is already on the market):

Health Canada:

• Safeguards the integrity of the supply chain (e.g., Cannabis Tracking and Licensing System, inventory controls)
• Monitors regulated parties to ensure adherence to the Cannabis Act and its Regulations, with a focus on preventing non-compliance. This includes gathering and analyzing data, conducting compliance verifications, and collaborating with relevant regulatory agencies.
• Conducts inspections of cannabis licence holders.
• Reviews and follows up on complaints from the public and industry to address emerging issues
• Takes targeted enforcement actions, when necessary, including:
  • Issuing warning letters and public advisories
  • Seizing or detaining products
  • Refusing, suspending, or revoking authorizations, including licences or permits
  • Imposing administrative monetary penalties of up to $1 million
  • Issuing ministerial orders for product recalls, testing, or other corrective measures
  • Collaborates with law enforcement to address illegal cannabis activities, safeguard the integrity of the licensing system, and ensure compliance with security and regulatory provisions, referring suspected illegal activities for further action

Item #14

Regulatory tool:

Workplace Hazardous Products

Pre-market (before a product is on the market):

Health Canada:

• Receives applications, which include safety and data sheets for all workplace hazardous products for which confidential business information protection is requested
• Determines the validity of confidential business information claims

Post-market (once a product is already on the market):

Health Canada:

• Works with federal and provincial/territorial regulatory partners to monitor health and safety concerns, as well as compliance with labelling and safety and data sheet requirements
• Determines the compliance of safety data sheets, selected by risk-based triage, that accompany applications for the protection of confidential business information

Item #15

Regulatory tool:

Radiation Emitting Devices

Pre-market (before a product is on the market):

Health Canada:

• No pre-market regulatory oversight

Post-market (once a product is already on the market):

Health Canada:

• Regulates the importation, lease and sale of radiation emitting devices, including labelling, packaging, advertising, construction and performance
• Monitors and tests products on the market for safety and compliance with regulations
• Monitors incident reports from manufacturers

18. Scientific Research in the Health Portfolio

Overview

The Health Portfolio conducts scientific research (i.e., intramural science) to provide evidence to inform decision-making about health standards, health policy, regulations and health programs. It allows the Government of Canada to:

• Anticipate and respond to health risks posed by diseases, environmental hazards, food and other threats;
• Verify that the drugs, food, medical devices and other therapeutic products available to Canadians are safe and effective; and
• Provide information to Canadians to help them make informed decisions about their health

Research Lifecycle and Governance

The Portfolio's scientific research is governed by organization-specific and government-wide policies that uphold scientific integrity, transparency, and independence. For example, PHAC's research is guided by its Science Strategy 2024-2025 to 2029-2030, while Health Canada's research lifecycle is guided by internal planning and governance approaches that ensure research activities align with strategic priorities and uphold scientific excellence.

The HECSB research governance framework serves as one example of how research is managed within Health Canada.

Key elements of the research lifecycle within HECSB include:

• Project planning and approval: research proposals are developed in alignment with departmental program priorities and undergo a formal approval process. This ensures that projects are scientifically sound, policy-relevant, and appropriately resourced.
• Scientific review and oversight: projects proposals are subject to internal and external peer review prior to approval to ensure the research methods are of the highest quality and consistent with the state of science in the field of work. This includes ethical review where applicable through the HC/PHAC Research Ethics Board.
• Publication and knowledge translation: once research is completed, findings are prepared for publication in peer-reviewed journals, used in program activities and translated into policy-relevant formats where appropriate.

In 2024 and 2025, Health Portfolio scientists published more than 550 papers in the scientific literature.

Scientific Integrity and Independence

Scientific integrity is central to scientific research in the Health Portfolio. For example, the Model Policy on Scientific Integrity developed by the Chief Science Advisor of Canada was used to create Health Canada and PHAC's scientific integrity policy, which affirms the role of scientists to conduct research and their right to communicate findings without political, commercial, client and stakeholder interference. Key principles include:

• Independence of research: Health Canada and PHAC's research and science activities, research or scientific products, as well as associated communications, must be free from interference by any party.
• Right to publish: researchers may publish their findings in peer-reviewed journals, subject to standard departmental review processes that uphold scientific quality and compliance with ethical and legal standards.
• Transparency and accountability: the organizations support open communication of scientific findings and encourage public access to research outputs and data.
• Protection against reprisal: scientists are protected from reprisal when acting in accordance with the policy, including when communicating research findings that may be politically sensitive.

Communication and Media Protocols

For publications that may attract public or political attention, science branches work proactively with Communications teams within the Portfolio to:

• Flag potentially sensitive publications: alerted in advance, whenever possible, to prepare appropriate messaging in collaboration with science programs.
• Develop media lines: clear, plain language key messages and questions and answers are crafted to support public understanding of the research results and their meaning.
• Support media engagement: pursuant to the Scientific Integrity Policy, scientists frequently speak to the media about or otherwise express themselves on science and their research, while respecting information disclosure provisions and the values and ethics code.

All publications are tracked and updated weekly within branches. Following direction from EC Services in July, journal articles are no longer included in the key health reports that are provided to EC Look Ahead meetings.

Role of Media Relations

Media relations teams supports Health Portfolio scientists and other subject-matter experts in their interviews with the media. This support includes spokesperson training/coaching, attending the interview, and liaising with the reporter. In 2024, media relations teams facilitated 213 interviews.

Interview requests come in a variety of ways: directly to the scientist/subject-matter expert, via media relations teams, and via the Minister's Office's communications team. Media relations teams have strong ties with subject-matter experts across the Health Portfolio and provides the appropriate interview heads-ups to the offices of senior management (e.g., ADMOs, DMO, PresO), the office of the Minister, and PCO (as required). Subject-matter experts are encouraged to provide this information to their media relations team in advance of the interviews taking place, whenever possible.

When the interview topics could potentially be sensitive, strategy discussions take place as to whether it would be best to provide a written response, as opposed to making a spokesperson available. When attending interviews (not always possible if the interview is in person off-site, or if the interview is recorded live), the media relations team also records the interview and sends a post-interview wrap-up.

HC and PHAC's Science and Research Communications Handbook (2024) tells potential spokespeople:

While Government of Canada researchers and scientists do not need permission or approval to speak to media, they need to specify whether they are speaking as a subject matter expert or a Government of Canada spokesperson. When speaking to the media, both spokespeople and subject matter experts must:

• Identify themselves by name and position;
• Speak on the record for public attribution;
• Be mindful of your duty to respect cabinet confidences, privacy, security, government policy, and matters before the courts; and
• Adhere to the Values and Ethics Code for the public sector, the Values and Ethics Codes for HC and PHAC and the Access to Information Act, among other considerations.

Employees should inform their supervisor before speaking to the media if there is sufficient lead time. If not, employees should promptly inform their supervisor after for informational purposes.

In 2024 and 2025, media relations has facilitated 20 interviews about studies that HC/PHAC scientists/researchers have authored.

19. Departmental governance

19.A. Health Canada Executive Committee Terms of Reference

Authority

• The Executive Committee (EC) functions under the authority of the Deputy Minister (DM) to set the strategic direction of the department, make key departmental decisions, and coordinate cross-departmental activities.

Role and Mandate

• EC is Health Canada's senior direction setting, decision-making and oversight body.
• EC convenes at two types of meetings: Executive Committee and Executive Committee Look Ahead.

At EC meetings, members generally focus on departmental strategies, as well as emerging issues and trends that have departmental, portfolio or government implications. An emphasis is placed on emerging issues, critical strategies at an early stage of development, those that are cross-cutting in nature and/or items that would benefit from discussion among EC members for endorsement prior to further development. Items that are purely for information, or items presented to EC for the first time at a late stage of development without prior EC endorsement are discouraged. EC members also receive regular updates from the chairs and/or co-chairs of the three EC sub-committees:

• The Executive Sub-Committee on People;
• The Executive Sub-Committee on Finance, Investments, Projects, and Transformation; and
• The Executive Sub-Committee on Policy, Results, Regulation and Science.

At EC Look Ahead meetings, members generally focus on short-term departmental business planning such as upcoming Cabinet business, parliamentary activities, Treasury Board submissions, communications, as well as ongoing issues requiring senior management attention.

Guiding Principles

Health Canada's governance structure is based on the following principles:

• Leadership – achieving a department-wide commitment to good governance through sound and competent leadership
• Accountability – being accountable for decisions and having meaningful mechanisms in place to ensure the department adheres to all applicable standards
• Integrity – acting impartially, ethically and in the interests of the department
• Stewardship – safeguarding the value of public assets and institutions that have been entrusted in the department's care
• Efficiency – ensuring the best use of resources to further the aims of the department, with a commitment to evidence-based strategies for improvement
• Transparency/openness/predictability – having clear roles and responsibilities and clear procedures for making decisions
• Engagement – fostering opportunities to create a learning organization and to foster staff engagement
• Agility – ensuring a flexible, responsive, adaptive organization

EC and its sub-committees commit to operate with due regard to:

• Public service values, as described in the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service the Health Canada Code of Conduct;
• Senior management responsibility to foster a work environment that is conducive to the effective use of both official languages, as stated in the Treasury Board Secretariat Policy on Official Languages and Health Canada's Policy on Language of Work;
• Horizontal collaboration within the department and portfolio;
• Compliance with laws and regulations; and
• Departmental and government priorities.

Position with Governance Structure

EC is supported by three sub-committees:

• The Executive Sub-Committee on People;
• The Executive Sub-Committee on Finance, Investments, Projects, and Transformation; and
• The Executive Sub-Committee on Policy, Results, Regulation and Science.

Committee chairs are expected to bring agenda items forward to the Executive Committee that would benefit from early engagement, discussion and endorsement. Updates from sub-committee chairs are also standing items on EC agendas.

Oversight of EC sub-committees will be managed by the EC Management Board (EMB), a committee chaired by the Deputy Minister which includes all sub-committee chairs. EMB will oversee governance and the current structure of EC and its sub-committees. The Health Canada EC governance structure will also be discussed by EC members every six (6) months, with final decisions taken by the DM.

Agenda Setting

The business of EC is captured in the forward agenda of EC meetings as well as the recurring agenda of EC Look Ahead meetings.

The forward agenda of EC meetings are populated by items:

• Proposed by the chairs of the sub-committees and approved by the DM;
• Proposed by branches and approved by the DM; and
• Requested by the DM

The Deputy Minister will convene the EMB on a periodic basis (monthly or at the call of the chair) to discuss forward agendas and facilitate alignment.

Guidance for Scheduling and Presenting Items at EC Meetings

• Standing items on EC agenda include: updates from the Deputy Minister and updates from the chairs of the three EC sub-committees.
• Other agenda items are to focus on emerging issues, critical strategies at an early stage of development, those that are cross-cutting in nature and/or items that would benefit from discussion among EC members for endorsement prior to further development. Items that are purely for information, or items presented to EC for the first time at a late stage of development without prior EC endorsement are discouraged.
• EC members are expected to have read any supporting material for each agenda item in advance of the meeting to allow maximum time for discussion.
• Based on the expectation that members have reviewed materials in advance, presentations at EC should be succinct, highlighting the goal and key questions for discussion.
• Presentations should clearly articulate whether the items are for decision or for information. Presentations for decision should include clear framing of the problem, options, risks, and proposed next steps.

Membership (see Annex A for full list of names)

• Chair: Deputy Minister
• Alternate chair: ADM if designated by DM
• Members:
  • All Assistant Deputy Ministers (ADMs) and Associate ADMs
  • Executive Director, Pest Management and Regulatory Agency
  • Senior General Counsel (Legal Services)
  • HC Departmental Science Advisor
• Observers:
  • Director General of Evaluation and Chief Audit Executive
  • Health Canada Ombuds
  • Chief of Staff to the Deputy Minister
  • Deputy Chief of Staff
  • Governance Secretariat members, as needed

Members are expected to attend all meetings. Where this is not possible, EC Members may designate a DG-level substitute for EC meetings, subject to the Chair's approval. Guest presenters or observers may accompany a member for the presentation of an item, subject to the Chair's approval.

The quorum necessary for the transaction of business will be set at three (3) permanent members, which can include the Chair.

EC Members are responsible for the preparation and timely submission of materials to the Governance Secretariat.

Frequency of Meetings

• EC meetings will be held biweekly, or at the call of the Chair.
• EC – Look Ahead meetings will be held weekly, or at the call of the Chair.
• Additional special EC meetings may be organized at the call of the Chair.

Secretariat and Administration

Secretariat support will be provided by the Governance Secretariat. This includes:

• Maintaining a forward agenda;
• Providing guidance on the development of EC documents to be presented by EC members or participants as needed;
• Providing advice to the Deputy Minister on EC meeting agenda items;
• Following up with branches, post-meeting, as requested by the Chair, to support the further development of the work presented;
• Taking notes and preparing the records of decisions for EC meetings;
• Coordinating overall logistics and distribution of documents; and records management.

19.B. Health Canada Executive Management Board Terms of Reference

Authority

The Executive Management Board (EMB) is chaired by the Deputy Minister (DM). EMB is a forum supporting the DM in setting the strategic direction of Health Canada, ensuring that departmental priorities are implemented effectively, that implementation takes a whole of Health Canada approach, and that outcomes are achieved through careful monitoring of performance. EMB has primary responsibility for governance and ensures that the governance structures support transparency and accountability across Health Canada.

Role and Mandate

EMB, as a sub-Committee of EC, provides oversight of EC sub-committees and ensuring that the sub-committees remain focused on core departmental priorities. The EMB will focus on:

• Monitoring the implementation of key departmental priorities, including transformation and modernization efforts;
• Ensuring alignment between strategic direction and operational execution;
• Coordinating accountability mechanisms and reporting structures;
• Identifying risks and recommending mitigation strategies related to departmental operations and governance; and
• Supporting integration with the Executive Committee (EC) and existing EC sub-committees and supporting effective change management, financial oversight, policy alignment, and workforce transformation.

While the DM maintains final decision-making authority, EMB will be asked to review recommendations in matters relating to:

• The structure and functioning of Health Canada's governance structure; and
• Implementation of the Comprehensive Expenditure Review (to the extent that decisions are to be made within the DM's authority).

Guiding Principles

Health Canada's governance structure is based on the following principles:

• Leadership – achieving a department-wide commitment to good governance through sound and competent leadership
• Accountability – being accountable for decisions and having meaningful mechanisms in place to ensure the department adheres to all applicable standards
• Integrity – acting impartially, ethically and in the interests of the department
• Stewardship – safeguarding the value of public assets and institutions that have been entrusted in the department's care
• Efficiency – ensuring the best use of resources to further the aims of the department, with a commitment to evidence-based strategies for improvement
• Transparency/openness/predictability – having clear roles and responsibilities and clear procedures for making decisions
• Engagement – fostering opportunities to create a learning organization and to foster staff engagement
• Agility – ensuring a flexible, responsive, adaptive organization

The Executive Management Board commits to operate with due regard to:

• Public service values, as described in the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service and the Health Canada Code of Conduct;
• Senior management responsibility to foster a work environment that is conducive to the effective use of both official languages, as stated in the Treasury Board Secretariat Policy on Official Languages and Health Canada's Policy on Language of Work;
• Horizontal collaboration within the department and portfolio;
• Compliance with laws and regulations; and
• Departmental and government priorities.

Position with Governance Structure

EMB is a sub-committee of EC which provides oversight of the Executive Committee (EC) sub-committees:

• The Executive Sub-Committee on People;
• The Executive Sub-Committee on Finance, Investments, Projects, and Transformation; and
• The Executive Sub-Committee on Policy, Results, Regulation and Science.

EMB will provide advice and recommendations on the governance structure, including oversight for EC sub-committees to ensure that the governance structure supports efficient and effective governance.

The structure of EC and its sub-committees should not preclude departmental management from creating and dissolving committees based on operational need. The Health Canada EC governance structure will also be reviewed by EMB members every six (6) months, which will include discussion at EC.

EMB decision-making is to be informed by deliberations at EC and sub-committees, to the extent possible. EMB decisions will be communicated to all members of EC in order to facilitate transparency and engagement.

Agenda Setting

The business of EMB is captured in the forward agenda. The forward agenda of EMB meetings can be populated by items:

• Proposed by the governance secretariat and approved by the DM;
• Proposed by EMB members and approved by the DM; and,
• Requested by the DM and / Chief of Staff (COS).

EMB discussions should be coordinated with and informed by deliberations at EC and sub-committees, to the extent possible. As noted above, EMB decisions and deliberations will also be communicated out, as appropriate, to ensure efficient and effective discussions at EC and sub-committees.

Guidance for Scheduling and Presenting Items at EMB Meetings

• Standing items on EMB agenda include: updates from the Deputy Minister and updates from the Chairs of the three EC sub-committees.
• Other agenda items are to focus on the implementation and alignment of departmental priorities, critical strategies at an early stage of development, those that are cross-cutting in nature and/or items that would benefit from a coordinated approach and development among EC members for endorsement prior to further development.
• EMB members are expected to have read any supporting material for each agenda item in advance of the meeting to allow maximum time for discussion.
• Based on the expectation that members have reviewed materials in advance, presentations at EMB should be succinct, highlighting the goal and key questions for discussion.
• Presenters should clearly articulate whether the items are for decision or for information. Presenters who bring forward items for decision should ensure that their presentations include clear framing of the problem, options, risks, and proposed next steps.

Membership

• Chair: Deputy Minister
• Members:
  • Assistant Deputy Minister of HPB
  • Assistant Deputy Minister of ROEB
  • Assistant Deputy Minister of CSB
  • Assistant Deputy Minister of CFOB
  • Assistant Deputy Minister of CPAB
• Observers:
  • Chief of Staff to the Deputy Minister
  • Governance Secretariat members, as needed
• Members are expected to attend all meetings, unless exceptional circumstances exist. Where this is not possible, EMB members may designate an ADM or DG-level substitute, as appropriate, for EMB meetings, subject to the Chair's approval. Guest presenters or observers may accompany a member for the presentation of an item, subject to the Chair's approval.
• The quorum necessary for the transaction of business will be set at three (3) permanent members, which can include the Chair.
• EMB Members are responsible for the preparation and timely submission of materials to the Governance Secretariat.

Frequency of Meetings

EMB meetings will be held monthly, or at the call of the Chair. Additional special EMB meetings may be organized as needed.

Records of Decision

Records of decision will be produced for each meeting and kept for a minimum of two years. Records of decision will identify leads, timelines, and the receiving forum to reinforce accountability.

Secretariat and Administration

Secretariat support will be provided by the Governance Secretariat. This includes:

• Maintaining a forward agenda;
• Providing guidance on the development of documents to be presented by EMB members or participants as needed;
• Providing advice to the Deputy Minister on EMB meeting agenda items;
• Following up with branches, post-meeting, as requested by the Chair, to support the further development of the work presented;
• Taking notes and preparing the records of decisions for EMB meetings;
• Coordinating overall logistics and distribution of documents; and records management.

Review and Evaluation

The Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually to ensure continued relevance and effectiveness. Adjustments will be made based on departmental priorities, performance outcomes, and feedback from EMB members.

19.C. Executive Sub-Committee on Policy, Results, Regulation and Science Terms of Reference

Mandate

The Executive Sub-Committee on Policy, Results, Regulation and Science is a forum focused on: advancing Ministerial and departmental policy priorities; ensuring sound results-based management; positioning Health Canada as a regulatory leader; and promoting scientific excellence.

Roles and Responsibilities

Roles and responsibilities of the Executive Sub-Committee on Policy, Results, Regulation and Science include, but are not limited to:

• Providing guidance on how to position Health Canada as a policy, science and regulatory leader, while ensuring that linkages between these areas are better understood and supported.
• Providing a forum to advance Ministerial and departmental policy, regulatory and science priorities by identifying opportunities, working to identify strategies to address challenges, and supporting the use of integrated and horizontal approaches.
• Ensuring that Health Canada is positioned to meaningfully contribute to whole-of-government exercises and initiatives.
• Supporting an integrated and horizontal approach to policy, results-based management, regulatory, and science issues.
• Advising on the department's regulatory agenda, including setting priorities, and sharing lessons learned and best practices to promote regulatory effectiveness, from design to implementation.
• Providing a forum to advance discussion, problem solving and spreading best practices on science matters and science leadership, including items of concern to Health Canada's science personnel.
• Serving as the Performance Measurement and Evaluation Committee, as needed, when chaired by the Deputy Minister and/or the Associate Deputy Minister, in accordance with the Treasury Board Policy on Results (see Annex A for further details on specific responsibilities of the Performance Measurement and Evaluation Committee).

The Executive Sub-Committee on Policy, Results, Regulation and Science is also responsible for activating and maintaining linkages with relevant Directors General committees.

Reporting Relationship

The Executive Sub-Committee on Policy, Results, Regulation and Science reports to Health Canada's Executive Committee. Specifically:

• The Co-chairs of the Executive Sub-Committee on Policy, Results, Regulation and Science is expected to provide regular verbal and/or written briefings to the Executive Committee, including as part of the standing item on Executive Committee sub-committee updates.
• Based on direction from the Health Canada Executive Committee, the Executive Sub-Committee on Policy, Results, Regulation and Science is expected to develop a forward agenda, outlining proposed priorities on a rolling 3-6 month basis.
• The Executive Sub-Committee on Policy, Results, Regulation and Science is expected to bring agenda items forward to the Executive Committee that would benefit from early engagement, discussion and endorsement.
• The Co-Chairs may decide to approve items directly rather than bring them to Executive Committee for discussion, if the co-Chairs determine that the items do not warrant an Executive Committee discussion. The co-Chairs remain responsible for informing the Executive Committee of all decisions through regular written reports.
• To note, regulatory issues may be discussed for the purposes of sharing best practices or lessons learned but do not constitute decision items given that regulatory decisions rest with the lawful authority.

Agenda Setting

Agenda items for meetings of the Executive Sub-Committee on Policy, Results, Regulation and Science may include items focused on one of these four areas, or a cross-cutting issue spanning multiple areas. Regular meetings with the Deputy Minister will be arranged to discuss the forward agenda and ensure coordination.

In cases when a meeting of the Performance Measurement and Evaluation Committee needs to be convened, the agenda will focus on issues related to program evaluation and performance measurement. In accordance with the Treasury Board Policy on Results, all meetings of the Performance Measurement and Evaluation Committee will be chaired by the Deputy Minister or Associate Deputy Minister.

Specific agenda items may be requested by the Deputy Heads, proposed by sub-committee members and/or recommended by relevant Directors General committees.

Membership

The Executive Sub-Committee on Policy, Results, Regulation and Science is led by two Co-Chairs and is composed of members from the following branches at the Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) and Associate Assistant Deputy Minister (A/ADM) level:

Chairs

• ADM, Health Policy Branch
• ADM, Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch

Alternate Chairs (in order)

• ADM, Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch
• ADM, Environmental and Consumer Safety Branch

Members

• ADM, Communications and Public Affairs Branch
• Executive Director and Senior General Counsel, Legal Services
• ADM, Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch
• ADM, Environmental and Consumer Safety Branch
• ADM, Digital Transformation Branch
• Medical Advisor
• Executive Director, Audit and Evaluation Bureau
• Science Advisor

Additional participants may be invited to attend meetings of the Executive Sub-Committee on Policy, Results, Regulation and Science on an ad hoc basis, at the discretion of the Chair. This may include internal experts, Health Portfolio partners and external experts, as helpful and appropriate. Assistant Deputy Ministers who are not sub-committee members may request to be invited to specific meetings. Executive Committee members can choose to participate in committee meetings to support deliberations.

In cases where a meeting of the Performance Measurement and Evaluation Committee is being convened, the Deputy Minister and/or the Associate Deputy Minister of Health will attend and chair the meeting, in accordance with the Treasury Board Policy on Results.

When the committee meets on matters related to science, attendance will include the co-Chairs of the Health Canada Science and Research Integration Network (SciRIN).

It is the expectation that members will be in attendance, unless exceptional circumstances exist, and in such case, a replacement can be authorized. The quorum necessary for the transaction of business will be set at three (3) permanent members.

The mandate and membership of the committee will be reviewed every six (6) months or as necessary to ensure relevancy and to allow for adjustments due to changes in priorities and/or practice.

Frequency of Meetings

The sub-committee is expected to meet approximately every two to four weeks, or more frequently at the direction of the Chair. Any member of the sub-committee may approach the Chair and request that a special meeting be called.

Secretariat Support

Secretariat support will be provided by Executive Committee Services. This includes scheduling meetings, transmitting meeting documents and providing logistical support.

Annex A – Performance Measurement and Evaluation Committee

Authority

The 2016 Treasury Board Secretariat Policy on Results requires departments to establish a committee of senior officials to oversee performance measurement and evaluation activities. The committee is intended to strengthen the planning, resourcing, coordination and use of performance measurement and evaluation in departments.

In addition, results and delivery will be overseen by the same committee in order to foster integration. This new committee is named the Performance Measurement, Evaluation and Results Committee (PMERC).

Mandate

The PMERC reviews and advises the Deputy Head on:

• The establishment, maintenance and implementation of the Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory and its related Performance Information Profiles, as well as alignment between the Departmental Results Framework, Program Inventory, and results and delivery priorities, including Government-wide priorities and mandate letter commitments.
• Performs a review function, as needed, for tracking progress on results and delivery priorities, including a bi-annual review of the heat map.
• Departmental evaluation planning and activities, including, the adequacy of the following:
  • annual evaluation needs assessment exercises, evaluation coverage and resources for evaluation;
  • departmental evaluation plan; and
  • plans for specific evaluations, if requested by the head of evaluation.
• Evaluation reports and summaries, including management responses and action plans, and recommending approval to the deputy head;
• Monitoring follow-up on evaluation recommendations and action plans and advising the deputy head of any issues;
• The neutral assessment of the evaluation function.
• Availability, quality, utility and use of planned and actual performance information for results and delivery priorities, the Departmental Results Framework, Program Inventory and Performance Information Profiles, and for evaluation. This includes the quality of performance measurement for informing decision-making and for supporting evaluations.

Guiding Principles

PMERC discharges its roles and responsibilities with due regard to the following guiding principles:

• Treasury Board Secretariat Policy on Results and Directive on Results;
• Guidance from the Privy Council Office Results and Delivery Unit;
• Departmental and government priorities;
• Public service values, as described in the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service;
• Compliance with relevant laws and regulations; and,
• Horizontal collaboration within the department and Health Portfolio including Executive Committee (EC) Sub-Committees.

Roles and Responsibilities

PMERC is responsible for:

• Providing a forum for discussion of performance measurement and evaluation issues;
• Promoting an integrated and horizontal approach to performance measurement and evaluation within the department to support the government's results and delivery agenda;
• Within the context of performance measurement, evaluation and results and delivery, monitoring the implementation of action against frameworks, strategies and EC decisions; directing the adjustment of plans and the undertaking of remedial action where warranted; and providing updates and / or recommendations to EC, as required

Frequency of Meetings

The Executive Sub-Committee on Policy, Results, Regulation and Science, sitting as PMERC, will meet quarterly to support the evaluation function, and will also meet quarterly to support the performance measurement and the results and delivery functions. Meetings may be added or removed at the discretion of the Chair.

Record of Decision

A record of decision will be prepared following each meeting.

19.D. Executive Sub-Committee on People Terms of Reference

Mandate

The Executive Sub-Committee on People is a forum focused on matters affecting our people, our workplace and our long-term success as an organization. It supports Health Canada's Executive Committee by making recommendations on issues related to: Health Canada's culture (inclusion, values and ethics, evidence-based); structure (organization design and alignment) processes and tools (change management); performance and productivity; and employee well-being (employee engagement, retention and talent management).

Roles and Responsibilities

Roles and responsibilities of the Executive Sub-Committee on People include, but are not limited to:

• Advancing initiatives aimed at enhancing all aspects of how Health Canada supports its most valuable resource – its people – to meet priorities.
• Implementing and providing oversight of the Health Canada People Plan.
• Meeting quarterly or as needed with the Leadership Council on Diversity and Inclusion, which represents all Health Canada employee networks, with participation from the Deputy Minister and/or Associate Deputy Minister.
• Providing leadership on matters related to: culture and values; change management; performance and talent management; high performance organizations; and employee engagement.

The Executive Sub-Committee on People is also responsible for activating and maintaining linkages with relevant Directors General committees.

Note that the Executive Sub-Committee on People is not expected to deal with operational HR issues (e.g. how the department manages day-to-day issues such as compensation and classification, or matters related to the legal requirements of employing people).

Reporting Relationship

The Executive Sub-Committee on People reports to the Health Canada Executive Committee. Specifically:

• The Chair of the Executive Sub-Committee on People is expected to provide regular verbal and/or written briefings to the Executive Committee, including as part of the standing item on Executive Committee sub-committee updates.
• Based on direction from the Health Canada Executive Committee, the Executive Sub-Committee on People is expected to develop a forward agenda, outlining proposed priorities on a rolling 3-6 month basis.
• The Executive Sub-Committee on People is expected to bring agenda items forward to the Executive Committee that would benefit from early engagement, discussion and endorsement.
• The Chair may decide to approve items directly rather than bring them to Executive Committee for discussion, if the Chair determines that the items do not warrant an Executive Committee discussion. The Chair remains responsible for informing the Executive Committee of all decisions made through regular written reports.

Agenda Setting

The Executive Sub-Committee on People will consider strategic and policy initiatives including but not limited to:

• Culture – collective values;
• Process and Tools – change management;
• Teams – high performance organizations; and,
• Employees – employee engagement, retention, leadership development, and talent management.

Regular meetings with the Deputy Minister will be arranged to discuss the forward agenda and ensure coordination.

Specific agenda items may be requested by the Deputy Heads, proposed by sub-committee members and/or recommended by relevant Directors General committees.

Membership

The Executive Sub-Committee on People is led by a Chair and is composed of members from the following branches at the Assistant Deputy Minister and Associate Assistant Deputy Minister level:

• Chair: ADM, Corporate Services Branch
• Members:
• ADM, Chief Financial Officer Branch
• ADM, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch
• ADM, Health Policy Branch
• ADM, Oral Health Branch
• ADM, Health Products and Food Branch
• Observer: Ombuds

If the Chair is unable to attend, the following alternate Chairs are listed in order:

• ADM, Oral Health Branch
• ADM, Health Policy Branch
• ADM, Chief Financial Officer Branch

Additional participants may be invited to attend meetings of the Executive Sub-Committee on People on an ad hoc basis, at the discretion of the Chair. This may include internal experts, Health Portfolio partners and external experts, as helpful and appropriate. Assistant Deputy Ministers who are not sub-committee members may request to be invited to specific meetings. Executive Committee members can choose to participate in committee meetings to support deliberations.

It is the expectation that members will be in attendance, unless exceptional circumstances exist, and in such case, a replacement can be authorized. The quorum necessary for the transaction of business will be set at three (3) permanent members.

The mandate and membership of the committee will be reviewed every six (6) months or as necessary to ensure relevancy and to allow for adjustments due to changes in priorities and/or practice.

Frequency of Meetings

The sub-committee is expected to meet approximately every two to four weeks, or more frequently at the direction of the Chair. Any member of the sub-committee may approach the Chair and request that a special meeting be called.

Secretariat Support

Secretariat support will be provided by Executive Committee Services. This includes scheduling meetings, transmitting meeting documents and providing logistical support.

19.E. Executive Sub-Committee on Finance, Investments, Projects and Transformation Terms of Reference

Mandate

The Executive Sub-Committee on Finance, Investments, Projects, and Transformation (FIPT) is a forum focused on providing sound financial management oversight, guiding investment planning and advancing departmental transformation initiatives. The sub-committee also provides strategic advice and recommendations to the Health Canada Deputy Heads, Executive Committee and branches in these areas, while ensuring compliance with Treasury Board policies and broader Government of Canada direction.

Roles and Responsibilities

Roles and responsibilities of the Executive Sub-Committee on FIPT include, but are not limited to:

Finance

• Guiding departmental resource management priorities.
• Providing advice to the Executive Committee on the prioritization of the department's strategic initiatives.
• Providing oversight on key areas of financial management, such as grants & contributions, costing, revenues, and salaries.
• Reviewing branch multi-year financial plans, with a focus on risks, mitigation strategies, financial pressures and financial sustainability.

Investments

• Approving departmental priorities for investment planning and providing strategic direction to guide Health Canada's overall approach to multi-year investment planning.
• Approving the allocation of the Investment Planning Fund, ensuring investments are aligned with departmental priorities and program requirements.
• Supporting horizontal collaboration and providing a forum to oversee and discuss significant departmental programmes of work.

Projects and Programmes

• Providing strategic direction to guide Health Canada projects and programmes, including enterprise projects.
• Monitoring the progress of projects and programmes, in accordance with the Departmental Project Management Framework.
• Approving project and programmes gates for those with higher risk, complexity and/or costs, in accordance with the authorities outlined in the Departmental Project Management Framework.
• Overseeing and reviewing the status and health of departmental projects and programmes, and recommending those that require more comprehensive project review where warranted.
• Highlighting common project risks, with a focus on mitigation options.

Transformation

• Reviewing departmental and branch-specific transformation initiatives.
• Providing direction on modernizing and expanding cost recovery regimes.
• Informing and consulting on the implementation of updates to relevant Treasury Board and departmental policies, directives and guidelines.
• Monitoring progress in supporting Government-wide initiatives and targets.

The Executive Sub-Committee on FIPT is also responsible for activating and maintaining linkages with relevant Directors General committees.

Reporting Relationship

The Executive Sub-Committee on FIPT reports to the Health Canada Executive Committee. Specifically:

• The Chair (or co-Chairs, as applicable) of the Executive Sub-Committee on FIPT is expected to provide regular verbal and/or written briefings to the Executive Committee, including as part of the standing item on Executive Committee sub-committee updates.
• Based on direction from the Health Canada Executive Committee, the Executive Sub-Committee on FIPT is expected to develop a forward agenda, outlining proposed priorities on a rolling 3-6 month basis.
• The Executive Sub-Committee on FIPT is expected to bring agenda items forward to the Executive Committee that would benefit from early engagement, discussion and endorsement.
• The Chair may decide to approve items directly rather than bring them to Executive Committee for discussion, if the Chair determines that the items do not warrant an Executive Committee discussion. The Chair remains responsible for informing the Executive Committee of all decisions made through regular written reports.

Agenda Setting

Agenda items for meetings of the Executive Sub-Committee on FIPT may include, but is not limited to items related to finance, investments, projects and transformation. Regular meetings with the Deputy Minister will be arranged to discuss the forward agenda and ensure coordination.

Specific agenda items may be requested by the Deputy Heads, proposed by sub-committee members and/or recommended by relevant Directors General committees.

Membership

The Executive Sub-Committee on FIPT is led by a Chair or co-Chairs and is composed of members from the following branches at the Assistant Deputy Minister and Associate Assistant Deputy Minister level:

• Chair: ADM, Chief Financial Officer Branch
• Alternate Chairs (in order)
  • ADM, Digital Transformation Branch
  • ADM, Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch
  • ADM, Oral Health Branch
• Members:
  • ADM, Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch
  • ADM, Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch
  • ADM, Corporate Services Branch
  • ADM, Oral Health Branch
  • ADM, Health Products and Food Branch
  • ADM, Digital Transformation Branch
• Non-voting members:
  • Office of Audit and Evaluation

Additional participants may be invited to attend meetings of the Executive Sub-Committee on FIPT on an ad hoc basis, at the discretion of the Chair. This may include internal experts, Health Portfolio partners and external experts, as helpful and appropriate. Executive Committee members can choose to participate in committee meetings to support deliberations.

It is the expectation that members will be in attendance, unless exceptional circumstances exist, and in such case, a replacement can be authorized. The quorum necessary for the transaction of business will be set at three (3) permanent members.

The mandate and membership of the committee will be reviewed every six (6) months or as necessary to ensure relevancy and to allow for adjustments due to changes in priorities and/or practice.

Frequency of Meetings

The sub-committee is expected to meet approximately every four to six weeks, or more frequently at the direction of the Chair. Any member of the sub-committee may approach the Chair and request that a special meeting be called.

Secretariat Support

The Procurement and Investment Management Directorate (PIMD) within the Chief Financial Officer Branch will support the Governance Secretariat (DMO) and the Chair in managing the forward agenda and in liaising with branches and subcommittee members to review and ensure proper documentation is available.

The Governance Secretariat will schedule the meetings and draft of the records of decisions.

19.F. Expert Advisory Committees

• Science Advisory Committee on Health Products Containing Cannabis
• Science Advisory Committee on Pest Control Products
• Scientific Advisory Board on Vaping Products
• Scientific Advisory Committee on Digital Health Technology
• Scientific Advisory Committee Medical Devices Used in the Cardiovascular System
• Scientific Advisory Committee on Health Products for Women
• Scientific Advisory Committee on Mental Health Disorders
• Scientific Advisory Committee on Oncology Therapies
• Scientific Advisory Committee on Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Pharmacology
• Scientific Advisory Committee on Respiratory and Allergy Therapies

Other Advisory Bodies

• Chemicals Management Plan Science Committee
• Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply
• Implementation Advisory Group (IAG) for the National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases
• Ministerial Advisory Council on Mental Health
• Pest Management Advisory Council
• Youth Leadership Team (substance use)

19.G. Boards with Deputy Minister of Health Representation

As Deputy Minister, you will have a seat on several boards. For your reference, below are the boards where either the Deputy Minister is a member or the authority has been delegated.

Canadian Health Institute of Health Research (CIHR) – Governing Council

CIHR is governed by a Governing Council of up to 18 members. It's role is to develop strategic directions and goals, evaluate overall performance, approve budget, establish, maintain and terminate Institutes and reviews the mandate and performance, and provide advice to the Minister of Health. Deputy Minister of Health is an ex-officio member of the Council.

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)

CIHI's 17-member Board of Directors is proportionately constituted to create a balance among health sectors and regions of Canada. It links federal, provincial and territorial governments with non-governmental health-related groups. CIHI's board serves as a national coordinating council for health information in Canada and fulfills 4 key roles: stewardship, advisory, fiduciary and monitoring. Deputy Minister of Health is a member of the Board.

Canada's Drug Agency (CDA)

CDA's Board of Directors is composed of an independent chair; a regional distribution of jurisdictional federal, provincial, and territorial representatives; and several non-jurisdictional representatives from health systems, academia, and the general public. Directors are elected by the Members of the Corporation, who are the Deputy Ministers of Health for participating federal, provincial, and territorial governments.

Currently Daniel MacDonald, Director General, Office of Pharmaceutical Management Strategies, at Health Canada sits on the Board of Directors.

Canada Health Infoway (Infoway)

Infoway's Board of Directors includes leaders from Canada's public, health, legal, financial and technology sectors. There are two federal appointees. Currently Jocelyne (Jo) Voisin, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of the Health Policy Branch, sits on the Board of Directors.

Health Workforce Canada

The Board of Directors is composed of twelve members who are health sector leaders across Canada. It oversees this recently established centre of excellence to address health workforce challenges, and improve health workforce data, planning and knowledge translation to action. Currently the Deputy Minister of Health, sits on the Board of Directors.

Healthcare Excellence Canada

The amalgamated organization of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute and the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement. It works with patients and other partners to share proven innovations and best practices that lead to lasting improvements in patient safety and healthcare quality. The Board of Directors is a voluntary group that includes a diverse group of leaders who are passionate about improving healthcare, with—and for—everyone in Canada. Currently Elizabeth Toller, Director General, Health Policy Branch, sits on the Board of Directors.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA)

The Board of Directors is a voluntary group composed of 13 members that meets three to four times per year. The board represents the business and labour community and professional and voluntary organizations. These organizations also have a particular interest in alcohol and drug use that the board considers appropriate.

The Governor in Council appoints the Chair and up to four additional board members may be appointed. These appointments come on the recommendation of the Minister of Health after the Minister has consulted with the board. The board may appoint up to eight additional directors. These appointments come after consultations with the provincial and territorial governments and with any individuals and organization representatives.

The Health Canada Deputy Minister is officially the ex-officio member, according to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Act. However, this responsibility was delegated to the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch, Kendal Weber. Currently the Health Canada Deputy Minister sits as ex-officio board member.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC)

The MHCC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of up to 15 members (currently 12), including at least two Indigenous members. Board members represent a wide range of stakeholders involved in mental health. Non-governmental members do not represent specific organizations and are widely considered to reflect the mental health community at large. Currently Sarah Lawley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister of Health Canada, sits on the Board of Directors.

The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC)

The Board of Directors brings regional, professional and personal perspectives to its work and helps drive measurable change that will benefit all Canadians with cancer. The board is made up of representatives from cancer and health organizations; federal, provincial and territorial government agencies and departments; Indigenous representatives; patient organizations; individuals and families affected by cancer; clinicians and health-care providers; and researchers. Currently Jocelyne (Jo) Voisin, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Health Canada, sits on the Board of Directors.

Indigenous/Federal/Provincial/Territorial Relations

20. Federal, Provincial, Territorial and Indigenous (FPTI) Relations

Overview of FPTI Roles and Relations in Health

• Health is an area of shared responsibility among federal, provincial, and territorial (FPT) governments as well as Indigenous governments.
• PTs have primary jurisdiction for the planning, organization, and management of their health systems and services to all residents, including Indigenous peoples.
• The federal government supports publicly funded health care through transfer payments to provinces and territories, delivers some national programs to Canadians, and provides direct health services to certain populations (First Nations on reserve, Inuit, Canadian forces members, federal inmates, refugees). Health Canada also has an important role protecting national health and safety and emergency response.
• Ongoing, federal, provincial territorial and Indigenous (FPTI) collaboration enables all orders of government to work together to address a range of health priorities, particularly where responsibilities intersect (e.g., funding health care initiatives, responding to public health emergencies, preventing chronic disease and the spread of infectious and communicable diseases.
• The Health Portfolio supports this collaboration through well-established formal structures, including: First Ministers meetings (PM and Premiers) and FPT Health Ministers' meetings (HMM) and bilateral and trilateral engagement with Indigenous partners, including National Indigenous Organizations (NIOs).

Health Portfolio Role – Funding

• The federal government supports health systems through financial contributions to PTs, and Indigenous communities, primarily via direct transfers and bilateral funding agreements.
  • The Canada Health Transfer (CHT) is the largest federal transfer to PTs. It provides long-term, predictable funding to support universally accessible, publicly funded health care and supports the Canada Health Act, which sets out requirements PTs must meet to receive their full CHT allocation.
  • Bilateral agreements can also be used to provide targeted funding in priority areas. Recent examples include Working Together, Aging with Dignity, home and community care and mental health and addictions services.
  • PTs frequently express preference for unconditional funding through the CHT and have expressed concerns about the prescriptive nature of targeted federal funding and the administrative burden of bilateral agreements.
• Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) also funds or directly provides services for First Nations and Inuit communities that supplement those provided by provinces and territories. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Health Canada provide funding to community organizations that support, in part, Indigenous peoples who live in urban, rural and remote communities.
• The federal government also plays a role in funding or directly providing services for certain populations, including primary care for Canadian Armed Forces, inmates in federal penitentiaries, refugees.
• Health Canada also provides coverage under the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) to all eligible Canadians.

Health Portfolio Role – Convening

• Collaboration among FPTI partners on health is maintained through well-established formal structures at multiple levels, including regular multilateral meetings and bilateral engagements with PTs, other federal departments/agencies, and national/regional Indigenous organizations.
• Central to this collaboration are FPT Health Ministers' meetings (HMM) and FPT Ministers responsible for mental health and substance use meetings, through which Ministers discuss and provide collective direction on priority issues and advance collaborative work.
  • Ministers are supported by the FPT Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health (CDM), a network of Assistant Deputy Minister-level committees, senior public health officials via the Pan-Canadian Public Health Network (PHN), and a range of FPT working groups.
  • PTs also have their own tables, where they discuss issues without the federal government in attendance (i.e., Council of the Federation at the Premiers' level and PT Health Ministers).
  • Additional FPT work throughout the Portfolio is facilitated through committees on issues such as cannabis, food safety, antimicrobial resistance, health data, dementia, health workforce issues, health and environment, water quality medical assistance in dying, drug shortages, and interprovincial health insurance agreements.
  • FPT governments also work closely with several federally-funded, arm's length Pan-Canadian Health Organizations (e.g., such as Canada's Drug Agency (CDA), Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), Canada Health Infoway).

Health Portfolio Role – Health, Safety and Emergency Response

• Additional federal responsibilities in health include protecting health and safety through legislation, health security and emergency preparedness and response; health promotion and chronic disease prevention; infectious disease prevention and control; and health research.
  • Some of these responsibilities are shared with PTs – with both the Health Portfolio and PTs having levers that support common objectives (i.e., surveillance, infectious disease prevention and control, health promotion and chronic disease prevention, and health security and emergency preparedness - including coordinating emergency response efforts).
  • Both orders of government and their respective health organizations share responsibility for the collection and analysis of health information, and for funding research and innovation initiatives.
• FPT emergency response coordination is supported by FPT response plans (e.g., FPT Public Health Response Plan for Biological Events), federal response plans (e.g., Health Portfolio Emergency Response Plan) as well as established emergency response governance mechanisms (i.e., activation of an FPT Special Advisory Committees in response to a public health emergency).

Health Portfolio Role – Indigenous Relations

• The Health Portfolio engages with Indigenous partners, including NIOs, regional partners, and other organizations, on a regular basis at all levels, to ensure policies and programs reflect Indigenous rights, needs, and perspectives.
• The Health Portfolio has begun meeting trilaterally with Indigenous partners and PTs.
  • In 2023-24, HC and ISC Ministers held 17 trilateral discussions with all PTs [Redacted] and regional Indigenous partners to discuss shared priorities. Further trilaterals were convened in January 2025.
  • These distinction-based meetings allowed for a more tripartite approach on Indigenous health priorities. Some PTs (e.g., AB) have indicated interest in continued trilateral engagements going forward.
• Some FPT committees operate as IFPT committees, with Indigenous representation and participation in committee decision-making.
• [Redacted]

Key Issues/Current State

• FPT collaboration takes place within the broader FPT relations landscape, which has included calls by the Council of the Federation to increase the Canada Health Transfer, and the need to avoid federal overreach into PT jurisdiction.
• Individual PT collaboration with the Health Portfolio can vary based on priorities, governments, and historical precedents.
  • Quebec has historically requested asymmetrical federal funding agreements. Quebec and Alberta have legislation requiring provincial approval before public institutions (e.g., universities, municipalities) can receive federal funding.
• The pace and intensity of multilateral and bilateral engagement with PTs over the past five years have fluctuated significantly – from very frequent during the pandemic, to bi-annual Health Ministers meetings in the last two years. Ministers remain committed to working together to protect and strengthen publicly funded health care systems within each province and territory.
• [Redacted]

Key Partners & Stakeholders

• Provinces and Territories (PTs) – PTs hold primary jurisdiction over the administration and delivery of their health systems. The Health Portfolio works with PTs at all levels to advance shared health objectives.
• Indigenous partners – partners include NIOs, regional partners, modern treaty and self-government agreement holders, Indigenous health authorities, and non-governmental organizations.
• Other federal areas – the Health Portfolio also frequently acts as a focal point for other sector engagement with PTs on health-related issues, supporting a whole-of-government approach (e.g. Indigenous Services Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; Transport Canada; Canada Border Services Agency; and Department of National Defence).
• Other PT ministries – while the primary counterparts of the Minister of Health are PT Ministers in the health and mental health sectors, they also engage with PT counterparts in other sectors (e.g., seniors, long-term care) based on organizational mandates.
• Pan-Canadian Health Organizations (PCHOs) – the Health Portfolio and PTs work closely with PCHOs to advance priorities, including in areas of pharmaceuticals management, mental health and substance use, data and digital health, among others.

21. List of Provincial / Territorial Ministers and Deputy Ministers Responsible for Health

British Columbia

• Honourable Josie Osborne, Minister of Health
• Cynthia Johansen, Deputy Minister of Health

Alberta

• Honourable Adriana LaGrange (HMM Chair), Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services
• Honourable Rick Wilson, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction
• Honourable Matt Jones, Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services
• Honourable Jason Nixon, Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services
• Matt Torigian (CDM Chair), Deputy Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services
• Evan Romanow, Deputy Minister of Mental Health and Addiction
• Bryce Stewart, Deputy Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services
• Dennis Cooley, Deputy Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services

Saskatchewan

• Honourable Jeremy Cockrill, Minister of Health
• Honourable Lori Carr, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions/ Seniors and Rural and Remote Health
• Tracey Smith, Deputy Minister of Health

Manitoba

• Honourable Uzoma Asagwara, Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care
• Honourable Bernadette Smith, Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness
• Silvester Komlodi, Deputy Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care
• Charlene Paquin, Deputy Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness

Ontario

• Honourable Sylvia Jones, Minister of Health, Deputy Premier
• Honourable Vijay Thanigasalam, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
• Deborah Richardson, Deputy Minister of Health

Québec

• Madame Sonia Bélanger, Ministre de la Santé
• M. Daniel Paré, Sous-ministre de la Santé et des Services sociaux

New Brunswick

• Honourable Dr. John Dornan, Minister of Health
• Honourable Rob McKee, Minister Responsible for Addictions and Mental Health Services
• Eric Beaulieu, Deputy Minister of Health

Nova Scotia

• Honourable Michelle Thompson, Minister of Health & Wellness, Minister responsible for the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment
• Honourable Brian Comer, Minister responsible for the Office of Mental Health, Youth and Communications
• Honourable Barbara Adams, Minister of Seniors and Long-Term Care
• Dana MacKenzie, Deputy Minister of Health and Wellness, Deputy Minister Responsible for the Office of Healthcare Professional Recruitment
• Kimberly Stewart, Associate Deputy Minister of the Office of Addictions and Mental Health
• Lora MacEachern, Deputy Minister of Seniors and Long-Term Care

Prince Edward Island

• Honourable Mark McLane, Minister of Health and Wellness
• Lisa Thibeau, Deputy Minister of Health and Wellness

Newfoundland and Labrador

• Honourable Lela Evans, Minister of Health and Community Services, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services
• John McGrath, Deputy Minister of Health and Community Services

Nunavut

• Honourable Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster, Minister of Health
• Megan Hunt, Deputy Minister of Health

Northwest Territories

• Honourable Lesa Semmler, Minister of Health and Social Services
• Alan Doody, Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services

Yukon Territory

• Honourable Brad Cathers, Minister of Health and Social Services
• Matt King, Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services

22. Overview of Indigenous Health

Key Points – Indigenous Health

• Indigenous peoples are included in the per capita allocations of funding from the Canada Health Transfer to PTs and are entitled to access insured provincial and territorial health services as residents of a PT.
• In addition, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) funds or directly provides services for First Nations on reserve and Inuit that supplement those provided by PTs, including primary health care, health promotion and supplementary health benefits.
• ISC also funds non-insured health benefits to eligible First Nations and Inuit regardless of where they live in Canada. For Métis, off-reserve First Nations and non-status First Nations, services and benefits are primarily provided for by PTs.
• Indigenous partners advocate for self-determination and recognition of treaty rights which includes control over their own health priorities. They are also seeking more stable funding options to improve health outcomes and address inequities for Indigenous communities.
• The federal government is supportive of Indigenous communities managing their own health systems; the First Nations Health Authority in BC, established in 2013, is a significant step and an example of one model for this.

Indigenous Partners and Priorities

• Indigenous governments and organizations have an active interest in designing and delivering health services, asserting self-determination in healthcare.
  • Some Indigenous nations have established their own health governance models, such as the First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia and the Nishnawbe Aski Nation Health Authority in Ontario.
  • The Health Portfolio and other federal partners regularly engage organizations like the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), Métis National Council (MNC), and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) who advocate for improved healthcare access and funding.
  • Many Indigenous communities negotiate self-government agreements that include control over healthcare services and funding.
• Priorities for Indigenous partners include:
  • Self-determination at the nation or community level, implementation of treaty rights to health, and a holistic approach to health.
  • Preventative approaches to health, including the social determinants of health, including housing, food and water security, on the land infrastructure as well as the prevention of chronic diseases (e.g., TB).
  • Access to mental health and substance use services.
  • Developing the Indigenous health workforce, improving primary care close to communities, and reducing the reliance on medical travel.

Background & Current Status

Indigenous health care in Canada has evolved significantly over time, transitioning from a system that was largely under the shared jurisdiction of FPT governments to one where Indigenous peoples are gaining greater control and input. The Health Portfolio supports the following legal and policy commitments that directly relate to reconciliation efforts, such as:

• The UN Declaration Act: the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA; 2021) requires all federal departments and agencies to implement section 5, 6, and 7. Within the UNDA action plan co-developed in 2023, the Health Portfolio leads or co-leads 8 action plan measures.
• Modern Treaties: the Cabinet Directive on the Federal Approach to Modern Treaty Implementation (2015) and Canada's Collaborative Modern Treaty Implementation Policy (2023).
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission's (TRC) Calls to Action: the TRC was launched in 2008 as part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. The TRC published a set of 94 calls to action (CTA) that would contribute to further reconciliation between Canadians and Indigenous peoples. The Health Portfolio plays a supporting role for ten CTAs.
• Missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People: in response to the national inquiry into National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People, the Government of Canada created the federal pathway. The Health Portfolio jointly leads on 1 call for justice priority and supports on 16 other call for justice priorities.
• Inuit Nunangat Policy: the Inuit Nunangat Policy (2022) applies to all federal departments and agencies, which sets out guidance for initiatives that apply to the Inuit Nunangat and/or benefit Inuit.

Disparities in Health Care Access and Treatment for Indigenous Populations

Indigenous populations face greater challenges in accessing health care compared to non-Indigenous individuals1

• A higher proportion of First Nations people living off reserve (20.3%), Métis (17.9%), and Inuit (56.5%) reported not having a regular health care provider, compared to 14.5% of the non-Indigenous population.
• This is exacerbated for those living in very remote areas or those with two or more chronic conditions.

When Indigenous people do receive care, many report facing systemic discrimination2

• Approximately 20% of Indigenous individuals have experienced unfair treatment, racism, or discrimination from a health care professional.

Differences in self-rated mental health highlight ongoing disparities3

• Self-rated excellent or very good mental health between 2020-2022 with close to 60% of non-Indigenous individuals, compared to 48% of First Nations off reserve, 51% of Métis, and 50% of Inuit.

1. Primary health care access among First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit, 2017 to 2020;
2. Health care access and experiences among Indigenous people, 2024;
3. Inequalities in mental health, well-being and wellness in Canada.

Health Portfolio Role for Indigenous Health

• Implements national and community-based public health programming for Indigenous communities and people and health funding for the north through the Territorial Health Investment Fund.
• Assesses, manages, and supports research on health risks (e.g., pesticides), and on addressing population harms (tobacco), in collaboration with Indigenous people.
• Supports Indigenous health research, knowledge mobilization and capacity-building.
• Works in collaboration with other federal departments, in particular ISC and CIRNA as well as other Indigenous health system partners, to close gaps in health outcomes for Indigenous Peoples and address barriers to accessing safe and equitable health services.
• Contributes to whole-of-government efforts to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples by implementing several federal commitments.

Current Engagement and Initiatives

Engaging Indigenous people, the government departments and PTs on health priorities is complex:

• Diversity amongst Indigenous partners, including across distinctions (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) is considerable in terms of geography, composition, governance and engagement protocol.
• Effective engagement with Indigenous people requires strategies that align with Indigenous self-determination and community-led solutions to support create equitable, culturally safe, and sustainable health systems.

Recent Health Portfolio Investments in Indigenous-led initiatives:

• Access to health care in the Arctic and the North
• Budget 2025 committed to a comprehensive assessment of health care and health infrastructure needs in the North, co-led by the Minister of Health, with engagement of Northern and Arctic Indigenous people, to improve access to healthcare and reduce travel costs.

Bilateral Funding Agreements with PTs

• Held trilateral discussions with Indigenous leaders across the country to help facilitate discussion on ways the new health system funding can improve Indigenous access to quality and culturally safe health services.
• CIHI is working with Indigenous partners to improve availability of disaggregated data and common indicators for First Nations, Inuit, Métis.

Mental Health and Substance Use

• The Emergency Treatment Fund allocated approximately 20-25% to Indigenous communities annually, the Youth Mental Health Fund has allocated $125M to Indigenous communities.
• The Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) funded 74 projects, including projects focused or led by Indigenous groups and communities.,
• PHAC released Canada's first National Suicide Prevention Action Plan, which complements existing Indigenous-led suicide prevention work underway, including the National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy.

Infectious Disease Prevention

• PHAC contributes directly to support ITK with the Inuit Tuberculosis Elimination Framework as a joint commitment by ITK and the Government of Canada to reduce and eliminate TB across the country by 2035.

Relationships with Health System Players

23. Relationships with Health System Players

Overview of Pan-Canadian Health Organizations

• Health Canada funds eight Pan-Canadian Health Organizations (PCHOs) who work with provinces, territories, and other partners to advance shared health priorities. First established in 1988, the PCHOs are self-governed, non-profit organizations. Although the federal government shapes their mandates and provides most of their funding, they operate as arm's-length bodies
• Their arms-length nature allows PCHOs to engage more directly than the federal government with provinces, territories, and other entities on shared priorities in provincial jurisdiction. In Canada's decentralized health care delivery system, they help advance key priorities on a pan-Canadian scale
• Each PCHO has a specific mandate, focusing on priorities such as cancer, mental health, substance use and addiction, health data, digital health, drugs and medical devices, patient safety, and health workforce
• Rapid changes driven by COVID-19, opioid-related deaths, and innovations in technology have been significant in the Canadian health care context and drive the priorities and activities of the PCHOs.
• In addition, the recommendations of the 2018 Fit for Purpose external review and the 2024 PCHOs Evaluation have proposed improvements to the governance, structure and coherence between PCHOs to better serve the health care sector

Background

Canada's eight PCHOs have been created over the past 37 years to address cross-cutting priorities in the health care system.

• 1988 - Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA): addresses issues around substance use by providing national leadership and coordinating action through partnerships. (HC funding: $11.6 million 2024-25).
• 1994 - Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI): collects, analyses, and reports on health data to deliver comparable and actionable information to accelerate improvements in health care, health system performance and population health across the continuum of care. (HC funding: $118.4 million 2024-25).
• 2001 - Canada Health Infoway (Infoway): works with partners to accelerate the development, adoption, and effective use of digital health solutions.
  (HC funding: $85.3 million 2024-25).
• 2006 - Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC): accelerates action on cancer control by working with provincial and territorial cancer agencies and other stakeholders. (HC funding: $47.5 million 2024-25).
• 2007 - Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC): leads the development and dissemination of programs and tools to support the mental health and wellness of Canadians. (HC funding: $14.25 million 2024-25).
• 2021 - Healthcare Excellence Canada (HEC): works with partners to spread innovations, build capability and catalyze policy changes so that everyone in Canada has safe and high-quality healthcare. Established from amalgamation of 2 historical PCHOs. (HC funding: $25.3 million 2024-25).
• 2023 - Health Workforce Canada (HWC): supports key partners in addressing the current health workforce challenges and critical long-term planning.
  (HC funding: $5.5 million 2024-25).
• 2024 - Canada Drug Agency (CDA)^{Footnote a}: provides evidence and advice to help PTs and public drug plans make informed decisions about the effectiveness and efficiency of drugs, medical devices and other health technologies. (HC funding: $53.4 million 2024-25).

Health Portfolio Role

Health Portfolio supports PCHOs in the following ways:

• Funding and Oversight: Health Canada provides majority funding to PCHOs to support federal health priorities (~$360 projected million in 2025-2026; PTs also provide funding to some PCHOs).
  • This enables the department to set expectations and performance targets for these organizations through contribution agreements.
  • While PCHOs operate at arm's length and are governed by an independent Board of Directors, Health Canada is also represented as a federal appointee and a full voting member and/or ex-officio member. Several PTs also nominate representatives to certain PCHOs (e.g., CIHI, Infoway, CPAC).
  • Additionally, since 2024, a new PCHO governance committee, chaired by Health Canada, aims to strengthen internal coordination in the effective management of PCHOs while also implementing the recommendations of the 2024 PCHOs evaluation.
• Policy and Strategic Guidance: Health Portfolio partners regularly liaise with PCHO leadership and staff through a series of formal and informal mechanisms.
  • This relationship has resulted in the PCHOs having greater clarity on federal priorities, and increased information sharing between the PCHOs and the Health Portfolio, which helps the PCHOs better deliver on their mandates while ensuring alignment with federal priorities.
• Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: Health Portfolio works with PCHOs to facilitate national data collection, evidence-based decision-making, and best practice sharing.
  • PCHOs often leverage the Health Portfolio's various FPT Tables to engage PTs on shared priorities.

Current Status – PCHOs are Advancing Key Health Priorities

• Digital Health: Infoway is advancing health system interoperability, supporting adoption of digital health technologies (e.g., AI Scribes) and maintains a national e-prescribing service (i.e., PrescribeIT) to support a connected health care system, including access to electronic health information across points of care.
• Pharmaceuticals: the CDA provides reimbursement recommendations to public drug plans and under the Pharmacare Act, the CDA is developing advice on a list of essential prescription drugs and a national bulk purchasing strategy.
• Mental Health and Substance Use: MHCC is training health care providers to increase mental health literacy and implementing national standards (e.g., psychological safety in workplace, well-being of post-secondary students). CCSA updated guidance on alcohol and health, and leads Canadian substance use cost and harms study.
• Cancer Research: CPAC is advancing the pan-Canadian cancer data strategy to enhance collection, integration and use of cancer data. CPAC is also supporting PTs to implement lung cancer screening programs for people at high risk and working with PHAC on breast cancer screening and prevention action plan.
• Health Workforce: HWC is advancing access to enhanced health workforce data and information through its data dashboards, catalyzing capacity for health workforce modelling and forecasting, and sharing what works on health workforce innovations and leading practices.
• Health Data: CIHI reports on health system performance, including shared FPT health indicators.
• Others: HEC is improving care of older adults (e.g., Enabling Aging in Place Program), supporting health workforce retention (e.g., Health Workforce Innovation Challenge) and strengthening primary care in northern, rural and remote communities.

Stakeholders

PCHOs are generally valued by their key partners, including other PCHOs

• The 2018 Fit for Purpose external review and a 2024 evaluation of the PCHOs both acknowledged the important role PCHOs play in Canada's health care systems; however, have identified a need to improve coordination to ensure effective management of PCHOs. These recommendations are currently being implemented.

Provinces and Territories

• Provincial and territorial governments value the PCHOs for their expertise and ability to drive collaboration on pan-Canadian priorities.
• PCHOs also fill capacity gaps in smaller or lower-capacity provinces and territories where these functions do not exist, either by providing national leadership or by funding specific initiatives at the regional level.

Indigenous Organizations

• PCHOs value their engagement with Indigenous organizations, and work at maintaining or strengthening their relationships. Even though several PCHOs (e.g., CIHI, CPAC) have strong approaches in place to advance reconciliation, the 2018 Fit for Purpose external review recommended further steps overall to better serve Indigenous communities' health priorities.

Health Stakeholders

• PCHOs are generally well regarded by health stakeholders. Stakeholders have noted that PCHOs act as a "convener" of key stakeholders and the federal government, bringing together partners within their networks to address important issues in Canada's health systems through a multidisciplinary and pan-Canadian approach.

Annex A: Health Canada funding to PCHOs

24. Other Key Players and Stakeholders in Health

The Health Portfolio works with a variety of key players in health, including provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, federally funded arm's-length health organizations, non-governmental organizations, professional associations, charities, international organizations, industry, the research community, other federal departments and agencies, foreign regulators and people living in Canada. This work includes partnering on research, surveillance, public consultation, collaborative policy and program development, sharing information to support health system improvement, best practice/knowledge sharing and engagement with people with lived and living experience.

Provincial / territorial health ministers & public health agencies

• e.g., Pan-Canadian Public Health Network, regional authorities, P/T occupational health and safety organizations, and in specific cases, local health services

Pan-Canadian health organizations (PCHOs)

• e.g., Canadian Institute for Health Information, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Canada Health Infoway, Canadian Drug Agency, Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, Healthcare Excellence Canada, Health Workforce Canada, Canadian Partnership Against Cancer

Health equity & community-based stakeholders

• e.g., community health organizations (e.g., racialized communities, religious communities, communities of practice, immigrants, older adults and youth-based organizations, 2SLGBTQ2+, etc.), social media influencers / risk influencers / risk communicators

Indigenous partners

• e.g., national and regional organizations such as the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Métis National Council, modern treaty holders, Native Women's Association of Canada, Pauktuutit Women of Canada, Manitoba Métis Federation, Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak, Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, National Association of Friendship Centres

International partners

• e.g., United States Food and Drug Administration, United States Environmental Protection Agency, European Medicines Agency, World Health Organization, Pan-American Health Organization, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Multilateral Regulatory Fora, International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Health system stakeholders

• Health professionals (e.g., Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Nurses Association, Nurse Practitioners Association of Canada, Canadian Doctors for Medicare, Canadian Pharmacists Association, Local Medical Officers of Health, Canadian Dental Association, Canadian Dental Hygienists Association, Denturist Association of Canada, Canadian Pediatric Society)
• Health institutions (e.g., hospitals)
• Patient groups (e.g., Institute of Safe Medicine Practices Canada, Patients Canada, Children's Healthcare Canada)
• Health sector labour unions (e.g., Canadian Labour Congress, Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada)

Research & academic stakeholders

• Universities and academic organizations (e.g., Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada, U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, Universities Canada, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, Canadian Black Scientists Network)
• Hospital-based research institutions (e.g., SickKids)
• Think tanks (e.g, Conference Board of Canada, Public Policy Forum)
• Health charities and research foundations (e.g., Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Gairdner Foundation)
• International research agencies (e.g., National Institutes of Health, European Commission)
• Provincial health research organizations: (e.g., The National Alliance of Provincial Health Research Organizations

Industry stakeholders

• Pharmaceutical and biologics (e.g., Innovative Medicines Canada, Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association, Group Purchasing Organizations, and distributors)
• Medical devices (e.g., Medtech Canada)
• Natural health products and non-prescription drugs (e.g., Canadian Health Food Association, Consumer Health Products Canada)
• Food products (e.g., Canadian Supply Chain Food Safety Coalition, Dairy of Farmers of Canada, Canadian Beverage Association)
• Pesticides (e.g., CropLife Canada)
• Cannabis (e.g. Cannabis Council of Canada, Canada Hemp Trade Alliance)
• Consumer products and cosmetics (e.g., Retail Council of Canada, Cosmetics Alliance Canada)
• Workplace hazardous products (e.g., Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association, Canadian Paint and Coatings Association, Responsible Distribution Canada)
• Health insurance companies (e.g., Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association)
• E-health vendors (e.g., Maple, Telus)

Public health stakeholders

• Service providers (e.g., Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Kids Help Phone, Hope for Wellness)
• Non-governmental Organizations and Health Charities (e.g., Canadian Red Cross, Health Charities Coalition of Canada, disease specific – Alzheimer Society of Canada, Heart & Stroke)
• National public health associations (e.g., Canadian Public Health Association, National Collaborating Centres on Public Health)
• Disease-based advocacy groups (e.g., Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders, Pain Canada)
• Disease prevention/health promotion (e.g., Canadian AIDS Society, YMCA Canada, ParticipACTION)
• People with lived and living experience (e.g., Canadian Association of People who Use Drugs, Community Addictions Peer Support Association, Black Health Education Collaborative)

25. Relationships with the International Community –US/Can Relations and International Relations

Global Health

Health is global. Infectious diseases and other health threats (e.g., air pollution, mosquito-borne diseases) don't stop at borders. Heart disease, diabetes, cancer, mental illness (to name a few) are serious concerns for high, middle, and low-income countries alike, impacting both health and the economy.

Canada's efforts to manage health threats and mitigate health risks include important cooperation with other countries, international health organizations, and within the United Nations system where common challenges are shared. Canada also has international treaty obligations to adhere to – the International Health Regulations and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control – both held with the World Health Organization.

Engagement in global health allows Canada to exercise leadership and build alliances through its scientific, regulatory, trade, and policy expertise in health care and public health. It also offers opportunities for Ministerial-level leadership to engage with counterparts to influence health agendas and strengthen cooperation that has mutual benefit domestically and globally.

Health Portfolio Role

Engagement with multilateral, bilateral and regional partners supports the Portfolio's capacity to protect the health of Canadians, advance Canada's interests and benefit from cooperation and pooled resources, while acting to prevent, prepare and respond to emerging health threats.

• Maintain international commitments via joint initiatives, formal agreements, trade agreements and other mechanisms (e.g. global action plans, leader/ministerial declarations) with other countries and international organizations (see annex for active commitments).
• Maintain membership in global health fora (e.g., World Health Organization).
• Maintain a diverse set of technical and policy dialogues & relationships with international counterparts (scientific, regulatory, trade and policy experts).
• Lead the Global Health Security Initiative's secretariat to facilitate real-time intelligence-sharing with G7 partners on a diverse range of public health outbreaks and biologic and chemical health threats; lead Canada's participation on the Pan-American Health Organization Executive Committee and serve as President of the Executive Committee until September 2026.
• Lead coordination of the Government of Canada's health-related G7 activities, while continuing to play a crucial role in multilateral collaborative processes, such as negotiations of the Pandemic Agreement's Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing negotiations.

Current Status

• Global health cooperation is being significantly impacted by geo-political dynamics including current decisions being taken by President Trump's administration; by conflict (Ukraine, Middle East), and by regional power dynamics (China's growing influence). These factors are challenging the advancements of strengthening health systems globally and threatening global health security (e.g. risk of increased epidemics/pandemics).

Through the work of the Health Portfolio, Canada is :

• Fostering an ongoing work program of international health cooperation by way of Canada's active participation in multilateral health meetings and dialogues;
• Cooperating via formal health agreements with other countries (e.g. Denmark, Taiwan, European Union, and South Africa — see Annex A) and a diversity of international arrangements in regulatory and scientific domains;
• [Redacted]
• [Redacted]

Key Partners & Stakeholders

Canada engages a wide range of domestic and international partners to manage threats and mitigate risks to our health security as well as to facilitate technical exchanges to strengthen health systems strengthening:

Key international meetings in 2026

Annex A – Active Bilateral Agreements

Canada-U.S. Health Engagement

The United States is Canada's most important bilateral partner in the health domain – a product of their shared geography, deeply integrated economies, populations and health ecosystems, and asymmetric relations.

For decades, close collaboration between Canada and the United States on health and public health – through data sharing, information exchange, regulatory and research synergies, technical cooperation and operational responses – has been critical to protecting domestic Canadian interests and advancing Health Portfolio (HP) priorities.

The Health Portfolio maintains relations with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its agencies.

Since the pandemic, health cooperation with the U.S. has served Canada's domestic objectives in several critical areas, including the opioids crisis, health emergencies, medical supply chains, health product and food regulation, and a range of global health priorities.

The current US Administration – bolstered by Republican control of Congress – is pursuing policy directions and administrative reforms expected to impact Canadian interests and priorities in areas of HP responsibility, including potential to create supply chain disruption, impact availability of health products, and research.

Health Portfolio Role

• The Health Portfolio fosters and maintains relationships with departments and agencies across the U.S. government – both within and beyond Human Health Services – on a range of health, public health, regulatory and other areas with significant impacts on health outcomes in Canada.
  • These connections are advanced through a combination of high-level engagement, policy alignment, program cooperation, and coordinated research, technical and operational activities.
• With leadership and direction from Ministers, and in keeping with shared priorities (or irritants) raised with/by the Secretary of HHS, leads from across the Health Portfolio engage directly with U.S. counterparts to advance Canadian interests and priorities.
  • This includes extensive cooperation and sharing of information between Health Canada regulators and the Food and Drug Administration; Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on infectious disease; Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture on animal and plant health; and Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on research collaboration – among many other points of connection (see Annex B for more illustrative examples).

Background & Current Status

• Several executive actions have provided a clearer picture of directions likely to impact Canadian interests and HP mandates, including:
  • Tariffs: the U.S. administration has announced a series of wide-ranging tariffs; however, has paused its plan to enact a 100% tariff on branded pharmaceutical products from manufacturers not actively building a production facility on US soil, as it attempts to negotiate additional "most-favored nation" agreements with pharmaceutical companies..
  • Global health: an executive order confirming the intention of the U.S. to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) and cessation of negotiations on the WHO Pandemic Agreement and amendments to the International Health Regulations.
  • Chronic disease: an executive order creating the President's Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission instructing departments and agencies that address health to focus on reversing chronic disease, and prioritizing recommendations from the new Council on how to address the childhood chronic disease crisis.
  • Research funding: executive orders eliminating DEI programming, resulting in unprecedented NIH funding freezes and grant terminations. Shifts in research priorities at NIH in alignment with the MAHA Commission, and grant terminations targeting areas such as mRNA, COVID, and HIV/AIDS. Blanket reduction in NIH funding for indirect research costs.
• As further U.S. actions relevant to Canada's interests emerge, the Health Portfolio will continue to validate top risk areas (and mitigations), opportunities (and cooperation options) and related ongoing activities in support of Ministerial-and senior-level engagement.

Why it matters to Canadians

• In the context of overall Canada-U.S. relations, health rarely receives the same attention as other portfolios (e.g. trade, border security, immigration); however, health and public health engagement and responsiveness can prove critical to Canadian interests within the wider bilateral context.
• Moreover, major shifts expanding U.S. executive powers and reforming HHS capacities and architecture may produce new risks, the impacts of which will require ongoing monitoring, assessment and response by the Health Portfolio.

Tariffs

• The Health Portfolio is monitoring impact of tariffs on supply chain, including potential tariffs on health products and medical countermeasures and has developed mitigation strategies.
• Stakeholders have underscored the fragility of the health product supply chain and the risk of increased costs and shortages on both sides of the border if tariffs are imposed on these products.

Addressing the U.S. Position

• To address the U.S. identification of illegal drug dynamics as one of the bases of the tariff threat, Health Canada is progressing on elements of the 2024 Border Plan that address U.S. concerns, including enhanced collaboration with the U.S. by the Canadian Drug Analysis Centre.

In the medium-term trade context – e.g. CUSMA negotiations and 2026 review

• The HP serves as an advocate of Canadian interests with respect to, e.g. the protection of clinical data related to pharmaceuticals, limitation of patent terms, and barriers on low-risk drugs and natural health products – which implicate Canadians' privacy, drugs costs, and access to / quality of health products.

To prevent drug shortages – e.g. U.S. support for bulk imports of generics

• The HP is active bilaterally and domestically in response to U.S. actions supporting and sanctioning the development of state-level plans to import pharmaceuticals, which could contribute to shortages here.

On a responsive basis – e.g. August 2024 CDC dog import requirements:

• Working with CFIA, the HP helped coordinate high-level advocacy to prevent CDC's imposition of new dog importation requirements that would have impacted thousands of Canadians.

Disruptions to R&D and clinical trials – e.g. NIH grant terminations and diminished collaboration

• NIH funding cuts risk impacting Canadian research and the health of Canadian patients participating in US-funded clinical trials. Through CIHR, the HP is working with federal partners and the health research community to gather information to understand the full impact and possible mitigation strategies.

Annex A: Trump Health Appointees

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

• Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
• Environmental lawyer and activist, known for vaccine skepticism, and desire to reshape public health and food policies.

Jim O'Neill

• Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)
• Investor and former HHS official known for advocating FDA reforms, freer healthcare markets, and advancing regenerative medicine.
• Acting Director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• On top of his duties as Deputy Secretary of HHS, O'Neill has succeeded Susan Monarez as acting Director of the CDC.

Vacant

• U.S. Surgeon General

Dr. Martin (Marty) Adel Makary

• Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Surgeon, public health professor, and author known for advocating lifestyle medicine, criticizing vaccine mandates, and promoting healthcare transparency.

Dr. Jayanta (Jay) Bhattacharya

• Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• Professor and researcher of medicine, economics, and public health known for his work on COVID-19 policy and opposition to lockdowns.

Peter (Pete) Hoekstra

• U.S. Ambassador to Canada
• Former Michigan congressman and diplomat, known for his role as U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands and Chair of the House Intelligence Committee.

Annex B: illustrative examples of Canada – U.S. health engagement

• Opioids and substance use: Health Canada with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
• Regulatory cooperation: Health Canada with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Simultaneous reviews of oncology products (as part of Project Orbis) and veterinary drugs: Health Canada with the FDA
• Food safety: Health Canada and CFIA with the FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Emerging and infectious diseases: PHAC with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Health emergencies: PHAC with CDC and the U.S. Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR)
• Mental health: Health Canada with the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• Data collaboration: PHAC and CIHR with CDC and the U.S. National Institutes for Health Research
• Food inspection: CFIA with the FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Environment and health: Health Canada with HHS and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Global health diplomacy: Office of International Affairs for the HP (OIA) with HHS agencies, State Department
• Health research: CIHR with the NIH and National Science Foundation (NSF)

26. Issues for Early Attention

Officials are prepared to brief you on the following key issues which will require your early attention:

Health Care System

An estimated 5.9 million Canadians don't have regular access to a primary care provider, down from 6.5 million in 2022. While there has been progress, access to care remains a key priority for Canadians.

While provinces and territories (PTs) are responsible for delivering health care services to Canadians, the federal government has a vital role in contributing long-term, predictable funding through the Canada Health Transfer and bilateral agreements to provinces and territories, funding pan-Canadian health organizations, and convening partners to help address critical health system challenges.

Health Workforce

A well-supported health workforce is critical to the functioning of Canada's health care systems. Growing demand for care is outpacing the supply of available health workers. On top of that, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated job stress and burnout of health workers. When Canadians can't access timely care, they turn to costly alternatives such as emergency rooms, which puts a greater strain on already overwhelmed acute care systems.

Canada's health workforce is currently facing challenges in the supply and retention of health workers and workplace conditions that put additional pressure on workers. High patient workloads, fewer workers and fear for personal safety have led to unprecedented levels of burnout, absences and turnover. There are currently shortages of over 23,000 family physicians and 28,000 registered nurses and these shortages are projected to deepen over the next 10 years.

Digital Health and Health Data, including Artificial Intelligence

Timely, connected, quality health data is essential for effective health care and

public health systems — powering evidence-based clinical decisions, informing public health responses, and supporting accountability by measuring progress on shared goals. In Canada, health data is needlessly difficult to access and cannot be easily shared due to outdated and poorly connected systems (e.g., electronic medical records) and practices (e.g., fax and paper prescriptions). This contributes to poorly coordinated care, potential misdiagnosis, and inefficient use of resources.

Improving access, exchange, and use of health data requires digital systems to connect (interoperability). Connected systems are the foundation for quality and standardized health data, especially as Artificial intelligence (AI) demands comprehensive data to generate meaningful insights to improve patient care and health outcomes.

Canadians want digital access to their entire health record, however only 39% of people have accessed their health information electronically. While the potential of AI to improve health care and reduce administrative burden is significant, only 7% of health care providers currently use AI in practice.

Dental Care

Health Canada is administering oral health programming to Canadians, which consists of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) and the Oral Health Access Fund (OHAF).

The CDCP aims to make the cost of dental care more affordable for uninsured individuals with annual family net incomes under $90,000. Over 5.7 million Canadian residents have enrolled in the CDCP and as of October 31, 2025, and 3.7 million members had received care since the launch of the plan.

As part of the Oral Health Access Fund Stream 1, Health Canada is providing more than $35 million over three years to support projects submitted by oral health training institutions that aim to address gaps related to the treatment of targeted populations and training adaptations to ensure sufficient hands-on training opportunities.

Pharmacare

An estimated that 1 in 5 adults in Canada did not have adequate coverage of prescription drugs in 2021, meaning they reported not having adequate insurance to cover the cost of prescription medications in the past 12 months.

The Pharmacare Act, which received Royal Assent on October 10, 2024, outlines an approach to future discussions on prescription drug coverage with PTs, Indigenous peoples, and other partners; information gathering; and a coverage standard for a range of diabetes and contraception drugs and devices. The Government of Canada has reached agreements with Manitoba, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon to provide free, universal, single-payer access to a range of contraceptives and diabetes medications.

In addition, bilateral agreements have been signed with all PTs as part of a National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases, aimed at improving access to effective drugs for rare diseases (DRD), an essential element in providing treatment options and ensuring successful patient care for people suffering from rare medical conditions. The Strategy is currently in the second year of full implementation with the signing of bilateral agreements with all provinces and territories.

Pharmaceutical Tariffs

The Government of Canada is committed to using every tool at its disposal to protect Canadians from tariffs.

Health Canada is monitoring the impact of US tariffs on access to health and health-related food products in Canada. This includes outreach and leveraging HC's networks across the health sector to monitor and identify shortage risks and actual shortages, particularly for drugs that could leave patients without options and significantly impact their health.

Health Canada is also working closely with provinces and territories, and continues to engage with the pharmaceutical industry, health associations, and patient groups to monitor and help mitigate negative impacts of any tariffs in this sector.

Access to Drugs

Canada's drug access system is a shared responsibility, involving various institutions, including provinces and territories.

The federal government assesses the safety, efficacy, and quality (regulatory authorization) while post authorization includes reviews by Canada's Drug Agency (CDA-AMC), an arm's length pan-Canadian organization funded by Health Canada, for cost-effectiveness, negotiations by the Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA), an independent organization, on behalf of FPT public plans, and determinations by provinces and territories on which drugs are reimbursed and under what conditions for their eligible populations.

Canada's overall time to patient access to medicines through public plans may lag international peers for certain products. Shortening the time to access drugs is a priority. Health Canada is committed to collaborating with provinces and territories on improving access to drugs, and ensuring that the federal government contributes directly in this area by upholding its responsibilities for timely regulatory approval.

Overdose Crisis, including Canada's Border Plan

Canada is facing the scourge of a drug overdose crisis. Approximately 54,000 people have died from opioid use since 2016 and about 50,558 opioid related poisoning hospitalizations.. From July 2024 to June 2025, there were 6,161 apparent opioid toxicity deaths (22% lower than the previous 12 months) or 17 deaths per day on average.

The highly toxic illegal drug supply, including fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, continues to be a primary driver of overdose deaths – both in Canada and the US. The Strong Borders Act (Bill C-2 and C-12) and Canada's Border Plan contains a $1.3 billion investment to stop fentanyl and other drugs from entering Canada, while also strengthening border security and improving the immigration system.

Detecting and disrupting the fentanyl trade is a key component of Canada's Border Plan, including Health Canada's actions to better detect, analyze, monitor, and control the movement of fentanyl, other illegal drugs, and precursors.

The crisis has been exacerbated by an evolving mental health crisis, unmanaged pain, and housing instability, and affordability. Lack of access to treatment, and fragmentation of substance use services means that Canadians often cannot get treatment where and when they are ready.

Medical Assistance in Dying

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) is part of PT health systems to provide end-of-life or complex care, and is available to eligible Canadians suffering intolerably from a medical condition to end their life. According to the sixth annual report on MAID, 16,449 people received MAID in 2024 which represents an increase of 6.9% over 2023.

The federal role in MAID is shared between the Department of Justice and Health Canada. Health Canada provides health policy advice and works closely with Justice Canada on the litigation related to the federal MAID framework, as well as development of federal approaches, legislation, and associated regulations (e.g., for data collection and reporting). Health Canada also works closely with PTs and stakeholders to support the safe and appropriate implementation of MAID in Canada. It also collects and reports on data on the number and circumstances of MAID requests and provisions annually.

Currently, individuals whose sole underlying medical condition is mental illness are temporarily excluded from MAID eligibility. However, without a legislative amendment, that exclusion will automatically lift on March 17, 2027, following which individuals whose sole underlying condition is mental illness may be eligible for MAID if all other eligibility requirements and safeguards are met.

In October 2024, Quebec brought into force its provincial legislative framework for advance requests for MAID. An advance request is a request for MAID by an individual who still has capacity to make health care decisions but is not yet eligible for MAID. Their intent is that MAID be provided in the future after they have lost the capacity to consent but are eligible to receive MAID, and when certain conditions that they specify in their advance request are met. Under the current legal framework set out in the Criminal Code, the provision of MAID through an advance request is not permitted.

In February 2026, a Joint Committee of Parliament will be established to review the eligibility criteria for MAID when mental illness is the sole condition. However, PT health officials are concerned about the potential strain on mental health capacity and resources if the legal framework is expanded to allow MAID for those whose sole underlying condition is mental illness.

Regulatory Red Tape

Regulations are vital for safeguarding the health, safety, and security of Canadians and the environment. They affect nearly every aspect of everyday life that provide protections such as safe food, clean air and secure borders. However, these regulatory requirements can become outdated which can make it difficult for Canadians and Canadian businesses to do business. These regulatory burdens are often called "red tape" and can include items such as unnecessary rules and duplication which is seen as a barrier to investment and growth.

In July 2025, TBS launched a government-wide review to eliminate red tape such as outdated and complicated regulations. In response, Ministers with regulatory responsibilities conducted reviews within their portfolios and released public progress reports and shared early achievements and next steps. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat will continue to lead red tape reduction efforts, coordinating across the federal regulatory community to deliver sustainable results that lower the cost of doing business and support economic growth.

Health Canada and PHAC identified 42 initiatives to reduce red tape, and CFIA identified 14 initiatives. The Health Portfolio is tracking initiatives, timelines, milestones, and risk-mitigation plans to help ensure timely implementation.

27. Governor in Council Appointments

The following document outlines the current Governor in Council vacancies where the appointments require Ministerial consideration in the next year. Officials are prepared to brief you on the following appointments and the appointment process, especially those requiring immediate attention.

Governor In Council (GIC) Appointments Required

Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO), Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) – Lead: Minister of Health

The CPHO plays a key leadership role in the achievement of PHAC's mandate and Canada's ability to effectively plan and respond to public health threats, outbreaks and emergencies. The Chief Public Health Officer advises the Minister of Health, and the President of the Public Health Agency of Canada on health issues.
The CPHO position is currently vacant.

Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) Board of Directors –

Lead: Minister of Health

A volunteer Board of Directors is responsible for governing CCSA. The directors meet face-to-face three to four times per year.

The Governor in Council appoints the Chair and up to four additional board members may be appointed. These appointments come on the recommendation of the Minister of Health after the Minister has consulted with the board.

There is an upcoming vacancy for Board Director position in March 2026.

Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) – Lead: Minister of Health

The Members of the PMPRB, including the chairperson, are responsible collectively for the implementation of the applicable provisions of the Patent Act.
The chairperson position is currently vacant. The vice-chairperson has assumed the duties of acting Chairperson until a permanent replacement is appointed by the Governor in Council.

Member, National Seniors Council (NSC) – Co-Lead: Minister of Health (with Minister of Jobs and Families)

The National Seniors Council (NSC) was established in 2007 by an Order in Council to advise the Government, through the Minister of Seniors and the Minister of Health, on matters related to the well-being and quality of life of seniors including opportunities arising from a rapidly growing and increasingly diverse aging population.

The NSC currently has six vacant member positions and an upcoming vacancy at the end of January 2026.

Members, Governing Council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) – Lead: Minister of Health

Governing Council members develop the strategic directions, goals and policies of the CIHR; they evaluate the CIHR's overall performance, including with respect to the achievement of its objectives; approve the institute's budget; and are responsible for establishing the mandate and evaluating the performance of the Institutes.

There are currently four vacant positions on the CIHR Governing Council.