Health Committee on June 6th, 2022

[Jocelyne Voisin]

We recognize that for many Canadians who require prescription drugs to treat rare diseases, the cost of these medications is astronomically high. To help them get better access to those treatments, we're working with provinces and territories and other partners to move forward and develop a national strategy for drugs for rare diseases, to be launched in 2022—this year.

Budget 2019 proposed investing $1 billion over two years, starting in 2022-23, with up to $500 million per year ongoing, to help Canadians with rare diseases access the drugs they need.

We held virtual public and stakeholder engagement in early 2021, which concluded in March. This included patients with rare diseases and their families, parents and caregivers. They were invited to provide their views on a national strategy and participate in a public town hall. We got to report what we heard and summarize the key themes and the feedback that emerged during those consultations.

Building on that and recognizing the importance of ongoing engagement, we did a second phase of targeted engagements, comprising stakeholder roundtables, which took place over the last two months, April and May, to seek feedback on a draft framework for this strategy and further inform the development.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Thank you, Ms. Voisin.

Thank you, Mr. Jowhari.

Go ahead, Mr. Garon. You have two and a half minutes.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Ms. Voisin, I am appealing to your general knowledge of the health care system that you describe as Canadian, but which is that of the provinces and Quebec.

Factually, would you be able to list the premiers or ministers of health from the provinces and territories that have requested, over the last 12 to 24 months, that more conditions be attached to the Canada health transfer?

[Jocelyne Voisin]

I can tell you that the Prime Minister has made it clear that he wants—

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

No, that's not my question. I don't have a lot of time, so I'll repeat it. I feel that there's a translation problem.

In the last 24 months, which of the provincial and territorial premiers have asked the federal government to attach more conditions to the Canada health transfer? This does not include the Prime Minister.

[Jocelyne Voisin]

The Prime Minister of Canada has made it clear that we need to see results for—

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Chair, the questions aren't being answered. Time is a scarce commodity and it's precious—

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

You didn't give the witness a chance to respond. You interrupted her.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Chair, I asked her to give me names. We know the answer: no provincial premier has asked for more conditions.

I'll move on to my second question. I'll have more chances of success, and I like to succeed.

Ms. Voisin, I'd like to talk about the idea that has been floated about holding a public summit on health care funding involving the provincial premiers and the Prime Minister of Canada. You just talked about it, which is why I'm bringing it up. This event would have been of public interest.

Has it been seriously considered by Health Canada?

[Jocelyne Voisin]

Health Canada engages regularly with colleagues at the deputy minister level and the ministerial level in terms of health ministers, and the Prime Minister has made it clear that he will—

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Chair, I'm getting the same answer again.

I'm going to ask one last question because I have a few seconds left.

So the premiers have made it clear to you that a phone call every three weeks is a good substitute for a public conference on funding. Is that what you're telling me? You're telling me that making a little phone call every now and then about the funding of the health care system, which is in the tens of billions of dollars, is a good method. This is what's happening at Health Canada.

[Jocelyne Voisin]

We are not privy to the conversation between the Prime Minister and the premiers. I can tell you that Health Canada engages regularly with...our health minister engages regularly with his colleagues, as we do at the deputy minister level.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Thank you, Mr. Garon.

The last round of questions will come from Ms. Zarrillo for two and a half minutes.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

My question is for Madam Clifford in relation to research around gender-based analysis plus in research.

Could Madam Clifford share with the committee if there is a GBA+ analysis that happens on research that comes out of her department?

[Dr. Tammy Clifford]

Certainly, the work that CIHR itself does in terms of policy and processes is subject to a GBA+ analysis. What we are doing now with those who are funded by CIHR funds is building in, in the conditions of funding, a stipulation moving towards gender-based analysis plus.

We do have sex- and gender-based analysis as part of our research culture, but certainly we need to continue to do sex- and gender-based analysis and move beyond that, so that we're able to look at things through an intersectional lens. For sex- and gender-based analysis, you will see that requirement for those funded by CIHR and moving forward to be able to conduct research and report the results from an intersectional lens.

Thank you.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you, Madam Clifford.

Can I also ask, is that true with studies on children as well?

[Dr. Tammy Clifford]

It would be in terms of the research that we fund across the board.

Again, one of the challenges, though, with CIHR in providing grants to researchers is that a grant, compared to a contract, doesn't necessarily have the same controls, if you will, in terms of what is delivered. In certain cases, the researchers themselves, for example, if they're doing research that is in a petri dish, may not be able to do that in the same way as someone who is doing population-based research. Again, you will see much stronger language coming from CIHR in terms of our expectations for an intersectional approach to research.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Thank you very much, Dr. Clifford and Ms. Zarrillo.

We have reached the end of our two hours, so I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of our witnesses for your patient and thoughtful responses. This is the first briefing we've had in connection with this study. We're going to be getting into it in some extensive depth in the fall, but the background that you have laid out will be very helpful to us as we embark on our work, and we certainly appreciate your being with us here today.

Is it the will of the committee to adjourn the meeting?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

The meeting is adjourned.