Mr. Chair, members of Parliament, thank you for the invitation to meet with the committee today.
I am honoured to be here in my new role as Canada's chief public health officer and appreciate the opportunity to speak with you early in my mandate.
I assumed this position on April 1, following my appointment by the Government of Canada. I am a public health physician, the former regional chief medical officer for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, and past president of the Canadian Medical Association.
In these roles, I have learned that public health works best when decisions are informed by scientific evidence, collaboration and community. I look forward to listening to and learning from all partners and stakeholders and to bringing my experiences to this new role at the federal level.
As the Government of Canada's lead public health professional, my mandate is to provide independent, science-based advice to the Minister of Health and the president of the Public Health Agency of Canada. To do this effectively, I will collaborate with partners across jurisdictions in Canada and internationally on public health matters. I will also speak and engage with Canadians, health professionals, stakeholders and the public on population health issues. Finally, I will report annually to Parliament on the state of public health in Canada.
I have had a busy first few weeks listening to and learning from the agency's senior leaders about their ongoing work, challenges and priorities. I have also had meetings with the Minister of Health and the president of the agency, and have discussed priorities and expectations for my mandate.
I am focused on building strong relationships with federal, provincial, territorial and indigenous public health leaders. I had the opportunity to attend my first public health network council meeting as federal co-chair last week. One of the issues we discussed was emergency preparedness, specifically strengthening operational readiness and coordination.
This week, I had the honour of participating in the launch of the Pan American Health Organization's annual vaccination week in the Americas, which was held here in Ottawa. It was an opportunity to both celebrate the life-saving impact of vaccines and discuss how we need to sustain progress and address the challenges we face.
Immunization is a deeply personal topic for me. In Manitoba, I was responsible for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. In addition to that, I grew up in a rural community that at one point in the last two years had the highest rate of measles in the Americas. These issues matter to me and play a major role in why I decided to take on this position.
During my mandate, I look forward to collaborating with colleagues and partners domestically and internationally and with communities across the country to address pressing health concerns as well as health equity. This is a consequential moment for public health.
Canada faces a convergence of challenges with the re-emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, the ongoing toxic drug and overdose crisis, persistent health inequities, including for indigenous people, and growing risks linked to extreme weather events and emerging infectious diseases. At the same time, public trust in health institutions has been strained following the pandemic.
Earning and strengthening trust are central to my approach. I will support the delivery of public health advice and information that is transparent, consistent and reliable. To achieve this, I will work closely with partners and experts to address health misinformation and disinformation.
I will also place emphasis on strengthening prevention and preparedness, addressing infectious diseases and reinforcing global health security as well as supporting efforts to encourage innovation and strengthen basic public health functions like disease surveillance.
I am incredibly honoured to take on this role.
Mr. Chair, I look forward to working with this committee and partners across the country to protect and promote the health of people in Canada.
Thank you. I welcome your questions.