“We work to prevent and are prepared to respond to threats to our health and safety through

coordinated efforts across the country and around the world.”

A primary responsibility of government is to protect its citizens from health threats◦ Safe food, water, air◦ Transmissible disease

Part of social contract with its citizens Part of international social contract Concepts reflected in International Health

Regulations

Binding International Law Specific requirements for countries public

health systems Countries must meet requirements

regarding detection and response to public health threats by 2012

Requirements serve as a basic foundation for a public health security system

to detect events involving disease or death above expected levels for the particular time and place in all areas

to report all available essential information immediately to the appropriate level of health-care response.

to implement preliminary control measures immediately.

to confirm the status of reported events and to support or implement additional control measures

to assess reported events immediately and, if found urgent, to report all essential information to the national level.

• to rapidly determine the control measures required to prevent domestic and international spread;

• to provide support and on-site assistance as required to supplement local investigations;

• to provide a direct link with senior health and other officials to rapidly approve and implement containment and control measures;

• to provide direct liaison with other relevant government ministries;

• To disseminate information and recommendations received from WHO regarding events in the Canada and in other countries;

• To operate a national public health emergency response plan to respond to events that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern

Develop local surveillance infrastructure Harmonize local/provincial surveillance

systems Ensure information flows between

governments within Canada and to governments outside Canada

Develop response capacity at all levels of government and strategies for governments to assist each other

Help other countries achieve these objectives