Health Committee on Feb. 28th, 2022

[Laila Goodridge]

I'll turn to my colleague, Mr. Allison, with respect to pan-Canadian data strategy.

With respect to the national emergency strategic stockpile, the work that was done to create a pan-Canadian supply and demand model was very effective. That modelling served us well. That is work we will continue in our work with the provinces and territories. As well, we were able to put in place data systems that allowed them to help see which shipments were coming when. That also allowed for good alignment of inventory systems across the country.

I'll let my colleague speak to you about the pan-Canadian data strategy.

[Christopher Allison]

Thank you, Cindy, and thank you, Mr. Chair.

Data gaps are a broad complex issue given the way that health is a shared responsibility across provinces, territories, indigenous communities and the federal government. As for solutions, there are no silver bullets. Work has been ongoing to find a way to make sure that public health data is reliable, timely and relevant, that data is getting to where it needs to be. This has been referenced in regard to the Minister of Health in both the Speech From the Throne and the mandate letter for the minister, where we're asked to continue demonstrating leadership in public health by strengthening surveillance and capacity in this space.

The pan-Canadian health data strategy is currently in development. We have an expert advisory group that has released two fantastic reports highlighting the complex work that needs to happen in terms of governance, interoperability, and in our systems and our partnerships in trust with citizens and stakeholders.

That is the high-level road map we are looking towards that's going to bring us forward. At the same time, there's a great deal of work on specific systems and looking at the IMIT capacity effect to make sure that we can work effectively with partners.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Mr. Chair, do I have more time?

Quickly, how do you determine how much N95 respiratory stock is deemed an adequate supply? How is it determined who gets access to that stock?

[Laila Goodridge]

As I had mentioned, we worked with our federal colleagues to create a supply and demand model that looks at a number of factors in the information that's shared with us from the provinces and territories. We look at the epidemiology of COVID-19 and its progression, as well as ICU utilization. As well, we needed to account for where there may be changes in policies in the jurisdictions on usage and how they were distributing the masks. As an example, with omicron, where there was increased transmissibility, we did see an increase in the utilization of N95 masks. Certainly, that helped to inform changes to what we saw as the annual requirements. That would then change what we saw as our stockpile numbers and our eight-week supply based on the data from the height of omicron. When we looked at this in December 2021, it was in the order of 139 million as an annual figures for all of the country, so I'm looking at the eight-week supply and what would be required.

When we saw increased utilization of N95s by the provinces during omicron, while I said we had an 80:20 allocation framework, we did switch to immediately pushing out 100% of the masks coming in the door to the jurisdictions to help address that need. As well, where there were N95 equivalents for masks that were not the preference of the health care system because of the requirements for fit testing, we were able to work with the jurisdictions to have a broader distribution within their systems applied to the health care sector so that we could maximize the use of those other masks.

Those are some of the methods by which we could determine the overall amounts, and working with the transparent allocation framework and the ongoing weekly conversations with the jurisdictions at the Logistics Advisory Committee allow us to get the right amounts out to the right areas.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Thank you, Ms. Evans.

Next, Ms. Goodridge, please, for five minutes.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank everyone for appearing here today.

I will just second the comments made by my colleague, Mr. Davies, that the inability to answer some of these questions is truly outstanding. As someone who is brand new to this committee, many of the questions I've seen asked came from the brief that was prepared by the Library of Parliament, and you haven't been able to answer some very simple questions. I just want to make sure this is on the record.

To follow up on some of the questions that were asked by Mr. Barrett about whether you looked into the availability to have travel...not necessarily only have vaccinations, I'm just wondering if you could please provide an answer on that, Ms. Evans?

[Laila Goodridge]

Mr. Chair, I'll turn to my colleague, Ms. Diogo, with respect to a travel-related question. Thank you.

[Brigitte Diogo]

Thank you.

The question is whether we are only looking at vaccination. Vaccination is a fundamental element, but we also ensured that in doing so we have captured exemptions in the regime to allow for equity concerns and to ensure that people were able to enter Canada when needed.

I hope I answered your question.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Could you please give a little more detail regarding the exemptions and what data you guys used to come up with those exemptions?

[Brigitte Diogo]

With regard to exemptions, we keep in mind that pediatric vaccines are not available, so in the regime we have allowed for unvaccinated children to be able to enter with parents who are vaccinated. Canada has expanded the list of vaccines that are acceptable for travel to Canada, and we continue to expand that list.

The question about temporary foreign workers is one where we have ensured that vaccination is not a barrier to employers having the help they need. We have also—

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

I have one question, then. What data did you guys use to build those arguments to support the exemptions?

[Brigitte Diogo]

The data used includes previous pilot projects that have been done and looking at the testing regime. We looked at importation data in terms of COVID-19. We've looked at the information related to vaccine availability around the world in other countries, so—

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

All right. That's wonderful.

Because we do have a very limited amount of time, would it be possible to table some of this information with the committee so we can see the rationale that was used to help formulate the decisions made by PHAC here?

[Brigitte Diogo]

We can certainly table information. It would be helpful to have more specific information. I mean, there are—

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Very specifically, I would like you guys to provide in writing a response to the question that was asked by Mr. Barrett immediately before I was able to ask questions.

[Brigitte Diogo]

Okay, Mr. Chair. We'll follow up in looking at the transcript in terms of the question that was asked and ensure we provide the information we have available.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

That's fantastic.

I have one quick question, because I believe I have about 30 seconds left. Do you have the number of weeks that the stockpile will last, yes or no?

[Laila Goodridge]

Mr. Chair, we now have an eight-week supply of key commodities and personal protective equipment.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

What was the number prior to this COVID-19 pandemic?

[Laila Goodridge]

Mr. Chair, personal protective equipment was not a commodity requested of us. Of the provinces' jurisdictions, we did not have an eight-week supply prior to the pandemic.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

How many weeks' supply did we have prior to it?

[Laila Goodridge]

I'm unable to answer that question, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Thank you, Ms. Goodridge and Ms. Evans.

We have Mr. Jowhari, please, for five minutes.

[Majid Jowhari, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the witnesses.

I'd like to start by asking PHAC this, specifically Mr. Allison. In the Office of the Auditor General's report number 8, the following was recommended:

The Public Health Agency of Canada should develop and implement a long-term, pan-Canadian health data strategy with the provinces and territories that will address both the long-standing and more recently identified shortcomings affecting its health surveillance activities.

The agency agreed to that recommendation, and I also believe that it created a corporate data and surveillance branch in October 2020. In the response from the agency—and I'm referring to page 48 of report number 8—it was indicated that “A long-term strategy is under development and is on track for completion by December 2021.”

Mr. Allison, are you in a position to be able to give us an update on where this strategy is? What are the short-term, medium-term and long-term objectives? Do you have a road map you can share with us, with some timelines?

[Christopher Allison]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Absolutely. The pan-Canadian health data strategy, which I did mention before, is the long-term road map that we're looking at. It's been developed in consultation with provinces and territories. Currently, two reports have been published by the expert advisory group. A third report is due in the spring of 2022.

With regard to the high-level milestones for the group, first, one of the key items was the creation of the corporate data and surveillance branch. The plan to establish the governance for the long-term pan-Canadian health data strategy has also been put in place. The launch of the expert advisory group has been put in place and, again, the development is set for April 2022.

The short- and medium-term priorities that have been outlined under the strategy are being defined by March 2022, and the intent is to bring this to a conference of deputy ministers of health in May 2022. The overall work is happening and is proceeding at pace. There are also task-limited time groups that are working on specific sub-items under the pan-Canadian health data strategy.

If the esteemed members of the committee have not read the first two reports, they are excellent and do highlight an ambitious but achievable path towards having an effective public health data ecosystem and effective sharing across provinces and territories.