We are now focusing on what we need to do in order to get there. We expect that the next round will be done this year for case definitions.
As well, by 2011 we will have funded through Canada Health Infoway the development of Panorama, which will allow all jurisdictions that participate to electronically input, so that we can have effectively immediate data on cases anywhere in the country.
I've outlined before a number of things that we've done, and we continue to go through the long list of things that need to be done, as we've been doing over the last four years, to continue to tick those off. As I said at the outset, each month we're better off than we were the month before. We're not there yet, but we anticipate that in the next couple of years.... So if you come back to me in two years and don't see continued major progress, then I'd be more than open to your criticism.
Surveillance is fundamental to public health. Good information is fundamental to what we do. We're starting with what we had. Part of the issue with SARS was a recognition that public health capacity in Canada had been for two decades neglected, as we focused on a very important thing, which is funding of the health care system. But public health as a priority for governments was not there, and SARS brought that out in spades, as did Walkerton, as did North Battleford. Now we have entities in place: we have the agency federally, we have agencies in provinces, we have “healthy living” ministers. Five years ago, when federal-provincial ministers met, public health was almost never on the agenda. When deputy ministers met, it was almost never on the agenda. Now it's on every agenda and is often half the agenda. There is a sea change, but as Neil was saying earlier, it's not something that happens overnight, but every year, every month, we are making progress.