Public Health Agency takes root across Canada

By Phillipa Rispin

Canada's health system has taken a beating the last few years, with tainted water supplies, SARS and mad cow disease making headlines across the country. A new federal initiative ? the Public Health Agency of Canada ? promises to build on the current system to help us fight back.

The minister of state for public health, Dr Carolyn Bennett, announced the creation of the Public Health Agency in May of this year. The agency has its main offices in Winnipeg and Ottawa. Winnipeg is the site of Canada's only level-4 microbiology lab. The new International Centre for Infectious Diseases is expected to become a world leader in research, training and innovation.

"Public health efforts focus on more than infectious diseases and cover a wide range of activities, from immunization, emergency preparedness and safe blood, food and water, to nutrition, early childhood development, sanitation and occupational health and safety," says Dr Plummer. "The National Collaborating Centres will be a national resource for the benefit of all Canadians, particularly those on the front lines delivering healthcare services. Specifically, the National Collaborating Centre for Infrastructure, Info-Structure and New Tools Development will focus on how public health information is gathered and used through, for example, disease surveillance systems. The goal is to ensure that public health professionals can easily draw from, use and contribute to the information they need to do their jobs."

Each of the six National Collaborating Centres for Public Health has a specific focus.

Determinants of health
Located in Atlantic Canada, this centre will study how health is affected by social factors such as physical and cultural isolation, income/socioeconomic status, employment, immigration status, mental illness and risk behaviours such as smoking and lack of physical activity.

Public policy/ risk assessment
A facility in Quebec will be dedicated to researching the impact of public policy, such as transportation and urbanization, on Canadians' health. The Centre's work will emphasize the social determinants of health and the physical environment.

New tools development
Ontario will house a centre to study how information can best be gathered and utilized to minimize health risks. The centre will also investigate how this information can help to improve health human resource training and planning, as well as work on citizen engagement, health promotion and social marketing.

Infectious diseases
Analysis of the present and future risks of emerging and re-emerging diseases will be carried out in the Prairies. This centre will complement and build on ongoing research to advance global understanding of diseases such as SARS, West Nile virus and mad cow. The centre will also be involved in training ? nationally and internationally ? the next generation of emerging infectious disease specialists.

Environmental health
The effects of the environment on health will be studied at a facility in British Columbia. Investigators there will look at how climate, shelter, and the quality of food, air, and water influence the state of human health. The research will also take into account infectious agents, toxins, chemical agents, and workplace health and injuries.

Aboriginal health
The sixth centre will be dedicated to analyzing health factors in urban, rural and remote aboriginal communities. Effects of low socioeconomic status and physical and cultural isolation are complex, and the centre will integrate its activities with the aboriginal community, researchers, health professionals and government departments.