SafekipediaPublic Health Agency of Canada
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The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC; French: Agence de la santé publique du Canada, ASPC) is an agency of the Government of Canada. It plays an important role in keeping people healthy and safe.
PHAC focuses on many key areas, including public health, emergency preparedness and response, and working to control and prevent infectious and chronic disease. This means they help protect families and communities from health threats, both everyday and during special situations.
Unlike Health Canada, which handles general health rules and policies, PHAC is especially focused on preparing for and responding to health emergencies, as well as stopping the spread of diseases. Their work is vital for the health and safety of all Canadians.
History
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) was created because of lessons learned from a serious health crisis in Canada called SARS. After reviews of how Canada handled this crisis, leaders decided a new organization was needed to better protect public health. PHAC officially started in 2004 and became a full part of Canada’s health system in 2006.
In its early years, PHAC helped Canada prepare for and respond to health emergencies, like the 2009 swine flu pandemic. The agency worked hard to protect Canadians and even vaccinated more people than many other countries during that time. Over the years, PHAC has changed its management to improve how it operates and protects public health.
COVID-19
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) was a key leader in Canada's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, PHAC brought together a group of experts called the COVID-19 Clinical Pharmacology Task Group. This group included scientists from universities across Canada. They shared important advice about treating the illness, including which medicines were helpful and which were not recommended. Their work ended in March 2021, and their advice is no longer posted on the government website.
Membership of the group included:
- Marina Salvadori, Public Health Agency of Canada (Co-chair)
- Michael Rieder, University of Western Ontario (Co-chair)
- Marie Lordkipanidze, Université de Montréal
- Richard Hall, Dalhousie University
- Micheline Piquette-Miller, University of Toronto
- Abby Collier, University of British Columbia
- Srinivas Murthy, University of British Columbia
- Jonathan Kimmelman, McGill University
The group shared statements about COVID-19 treatments, suggesting against using hydroxychloroquine but supporting dexamethasone for patients who were very sick. For remdesivir, they advised it should only be used in special research settings, known as a clinical trial.
Organizational structure
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is led by two main leaders: the President and the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO). The President is chosen by the government for a five-year term. The CPHO is also chosen by the government and serves as Canada’s top health expert. The CPHO gives advice to the Minister of Health and the President of PHAC.
The CPHO can talk with different groups, like governments, organizations, businesses, and Canadians about health matters. Every year, the CPHO must send a report to the Minister of Health about Canada’s public health.
Headquarters and leadership
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has its main office in two places. One is in Ottawa, and the other is the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This lab in Winnipeg is special because it is Canada's only Level 4 place for studying very dangerous germs that can make people very sick. The leaders of PHAC, including the President and the Chief Public Health Officer, work in Ottawa. The President has a higher position than the Chief Public Health Officer.
| No. | CPHO | Appointed | Retired | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Butler-Jones | October 23, 2004 | June 2013 | Paul Martin |
| – | Gregory W. Taylor (interim) | June 2013 | October 2014 | Stephen Harper |
| 2 | Krista Outhwaite | October 24, 2014 | April 2016 | Stephen Harper |
| 3 | Siddika Mithani | April 11, 2016 | February 25, 2019 | Justin Trudeau |
| 4 | Kristina Namiesniowski | May 6, 2019 | September 2020 | Justin Trudeau |
| 5 | Iain Stewart | September 21, 2020 | October 2021 | Justin Trudeau |
| 6 | Harpreet S. Kochhar | 2021 | February 2023 | Justin Trudeau |
| 7 | Heather Jeffrey | February 27, 2023 | June 2025 | Justin Trudeau |
| 8 | Nancy Hamzawi | June 20, 2025 | Mark Carney |
Responsibilities
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) helps keep people healthy and safe. It manages important supplies for emergencies, like medicines and tools for treating diseases. PHAC also works on stopping the spread of diseases, keeping health information safe, and preparing for emergencies.
PHAC looks after health safety during travel, helps with vaccines, and promotes healthy living. It also studies health issues and teaches people about staying healthy. The agency has special teams for emergency readiness and for studying diseases that can spread between people. PHAC monitors certain diseases to make sure they are under control and watches for any problems that happen after people get vaccines.
Annual reports
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) creates many reports each year. These reports help share important ideas about keeping people healthy and safe.
CPHO reports
Every year, the Chief Public Health Officer makes reports for everyone to read. These reports talk about big health topics and ways to help all Canadians stay healthy.
Departmental results
You can find the Departmental Results Reports together with money reports.
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Public Health Agency of Canada, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.