Evidence of meeting #9 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 3rd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was capacity.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Acting President and Chief Executive Officer, International Centre for Infectious Diseases
Ms. Kennelly was not a consultant, or a contractor, or an employee of ICID. I believe that in some projects she participated in we were partners. There were meetings.
Acting President and Chief Executive Officer, International Centre for Infectious Diseases
She's a consultant and a former employee of the Government of Canada, I believe.
Liberal
Acting President and Chief Executive Officer, International Centre for Infectious Diseases
I'm not sure of her exact position.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Okay. Did she ever carry messages to ICID on behalf of Minister Toews?
Acting President and Chief Executive Officer, International Centre for Infectious Diseases
I have no direct knowledge of that.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Was there a vaccine bid? Was it ever threatened that the vaccine bid was in jeopardy?
Acting President and Chief Executive Officer, International Centre for Infectious Diseases
Yes, I would say we were very aware that the competition was not moving forward. There was a delay in the decision.
Acting President and Chief Executive Officer, International Centre for Infectious Diseases
We worked very hard to find out why there was a delay in the decision. We talked to the bureaucracy. We talked to the politicians. We talked to provincial government representatives. We talked to members of the Gates Foundation. We talked to the international stakeholders and HIV researchers around the world. We could not come to an answer on that.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
You mentioned that government officials brought up Eric Stefanson's name. Who were those government officials, please?
Acting President and Chief Executive Officer, International Centre for Infectious Diseases
Dr. Frank Plummer thought he would be a good candidate. He recommended him.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
I'd now like to move to Dr. Hewitt.
In your view, was the application process consistent with CHVI's principles of accountability and transparency?
Vice-President, Research and International Relations, University of Western Ontario
I would say there could have been improvements in the process. For some of the issues that have been brought to bear, I would think the most important ones concern the flow of information and the ability to obtain information from the secretariat. I would suggest as well that there could've been more information regarding the outcome of the scientific or expert reviews, as would be the case in other federal competitions of this type.
I agree with Dr. Carver that a site visit would have been immensely useful in terms of exchanging information and providing an opportunity to clarify points in the two proposals that in fact went forward.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
I'm going to ask Dr. Carver and Dr. Hewitt, going forward, what would be your recommendations? You've talked about maternal and child health and you've talked about antivirals. What else would you like to see being done?
Vice-President, Research and International Relations, University of Western Ontario
Are you talking in terms of scientifically in vaccine development or in terms of process? I'd be more comfortable with the latter.
Vice-President, Research and International Relations, University of Western Ontario
In terms of process, and I have argued this consistently with the federal government in our representations to the federal government, projects like these should operate and be run through the existing research funding mechanisms: the tri-council, CFI, and other sources that have, I would say, a vast experience in how to manage and operate large funding programs such as that. And that would continue to be my recommendation in the future.
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer, International Consortium on Anti-Virals
I'd agree with Ted on that latter recommendation.
I'd also like to see this opportunity taken to create a comprehensive strategy. We're funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, and I'm dealing all the time with the mindset of public health physicians and researchers, which is that vaccines are the only answer. The world has changed. It's very clear, as I pointed out in my presentation, that antivirals have been the only tool we've had to use to combat HIV in the last 20 years, so a comprehensive approach... I understand that there are research programs that are supported through CIHR, but we're not talking about that; we're talking about translational research, we're talking about actually getting discoveries into a production mode, such that you can have GMP material to administer to patients in a clinical trial. That is not funded through CIHR. That needs a special mechanism, whether it's a drug or a vaccine candidate.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Thank you, Dr. Carver.
I'd like to ask one more question. Ms. Medwick, were you concerned, when you have a process for appointing a chair, that a recommendation was made—
Conservative
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to thank the witnesses for joining us today.
There is an old expression that says that one should never put the cart before the horse. The Gates Foundation conducted a study to assess vaccine manufacturing capability after announcing a competitive process and creating expectations. Expectations have been raised. Consortiums and universities bid on the contracts and are disappointed today to see that no new clinical research facility will be established. Therefore, I have to wonder why the Gates Foundations, before making any grand announcements and before launching a competition, did not seek assurances that this study on manufacturing capability could in fact be conducted and why it did not wait for a conclusive report to be drawn up and verify whether the vaccine that was already produced was effective.
That was my first question. I have another one that I will put to you right away. Then I will allow Dr. Bertozzi time to respond.
Dr. Cameron, when he testified last Tuesday, and Dr. Carver, speaking here today, both emphasized the need for quick action. They even made suggestions as to how federal government funds, and funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, could be allocated for research on the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Like Dr. Engelhardt last Tuesday, you have not really told us today what you are planning for the future. I'm curious to know if you have already initiated any discussions to ascertain what the future holds.
