Rona Ambrose

[Health, September 18th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, there is a reason that Dr. Margaret Chan, the head of the World Health Organization, calls Canada as one of the first countries when there is a public health outbreak around the world. It is because Canada's Public Health Agency has a world-leading record on dealing with pandemics, whether they are here at home, like H1N1, or abroad, like Ebola. Canada is at the forefront of working with the international community to deal with the Ebola issue.

[Health, September 18th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I can reassure the public that the Public Health Agency remains in contact with partners to better understand these recent cases.

Specifically in relation to EV-D68, we are monitoring these cases closely. The member and the public should know that the agency is in close contact with provinces and territories and with U.S. public health officials, and we stand ready to support the provinces and territories with any lab support or guidance that they may need.

[Health, September 16th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, that is just completely false. First of all, we have passed what is a world-leading piece of legislation, Vanessa's law, to ensure that we are able to act quickly when these kinds of issues happen. We have also just recently created the openness and transparency framework, which will ensure—including on things like inspection of product facilities—that information will be posted online. We will now have one of the most open and transparent regulatory systems in the world when it comes to drug approvals.

As I have said repeatedly, I expect that Health Canada inspectors and product safety managers will deal with these issues as quickly as possible.

[Health, September 16th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said repeatedly, I do expect that Health Canada take all product safety issues seriously and address them immediately.

When it comes to our law, Vanessa's law, which is why our government has responded the way we have, when passed it will end these problems. It will ensure that clinical trial information will be disclosed on a public registry. It will ensure that positive and negative decisions on drug approvals are disclosed online. It will require tough new fines for companies that are putting Canadians at risk. Most importantly, it will give me the authority to recall unsafe drugs when I need to.

[International Development, September 16th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, we have been responding in a very substantive and progressive way in response directly to discussions with Margaret Chan, the head of the WHO.

We are in constant contact with our international partners. Yesterday, I met with the U.S. ambassador to be briefed on what the U.S. is doing and to brief him on what Canada is doing. We will also be meeting with our global health security initiative partners in two weeks in Washington. Leading up to that, we continue to work in many different ways, whether it is a financial commitment, resource and equipment commitment, or having our mobile lab from Winnipeg on the ground and, of course, helping the WHO with expertise.

[International Development, September 16th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is at the forefront of the Ebola response in West Africa. We are contributing funds to the WHO. We are contributing expertise to the WHO. Last night, we have offered several million dollars' worth of essential protective equipment to the WHO, such as masks, gloves and respirators. We also have a mobile lab on the ground with a team of medical experts helping to diagnose and test. We have offered up to 1,000 doses of an experimental vaccine that looks promising. It has been developed in Canada and given to the WHO to be used as a global resource.

Of course, we are in constant contact with international counter—

[Ebola Outbreak, September 15th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the global health security initiative is an initiative that was very much spearheaded by Canada originally, but has a number of global partners that come together to discuss these kinds of issues in particular, like Ebola, and the threat that they can have on the global context.

A meeting has been called by the United States of the global health security initiative group that will be held in two weeks in Washington. We will be participating in that meeting along with a number of our global partners to talk about next steps in tackling Ebola.

We are already in contact with our partners in that global community to share information, talk about next steps and resources. I met with the U.S. ambassador today to speak about Ebola at length and the U.S. response in ensuring that we have a coordinated response with the United States as well as our border protection.

The global health security initiative is a global initiative that is effective and in this context is exactly the right kind of vehicle to be discussing these issues. It brings together the many different facets that have to respond when something like this is happening, whether it is the public health agencies, the health departments, the departments of defence, foreign affairs departments of many different countries that come together. They need to be a part of a response like this.

[Ebola Outbreak, September 15th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member that the Public Health Agency of Canada is in contact with all departments that have the ability to respond. I thank her for her support of tonight's donation to the WHO. It will strengthen the field response on the ground.

I want to reassure Canadians about what has been a very sustained and progressive response by the Canadian government in the fight against Ebola.

We have had very close contact with the WHO. We have been working very closely at the Public Health Agency of Canada with those at the WHO in the response. We have not only donated millions to help the WHO to strengthen its own field response, we now have donated close to $2 million to support humanitarian interventions led by Doctors Without Borders. We are also supporting the Red Cross in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone through its emergency disaster assistance fund. As well, we are supporting the WHO through its international health grants program to support more assistance for its operational costs in West Africa.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has been at the forefront working with the WHO with technical expertise, whether it is giving advice to those working on this issue through the expertise of our microbiology lab in Winnipeg or deploying a team of scientists in a mobile lab from Winnipeg to Sierra Leone to contribute to efforts to stop the Ebola outbreak. We had a team before which just came back to Canada. We deployed a new team last week and it is on the ground helping to test samples submitted by local health authorities. That does a great deal in helping the public health capacity in those local regions.

The experimental vaccine is something new and very promising, but there is a lot of hope that we can work with the international community to either ensure that the vaccine is available and that we continue to do the proper research necessary to ensure if it is safe and effective, that it is something we can use in the future. It is ready to transport when necessary.

We are on the ground now supporting those communities that are being affected immediately with the resources they need. We are also looking and involved in meeting the long-term research and capacity building to help those communities in a way that they need most.

[Ebola Outbreak, September 15th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as Canada's Minister of Health, I am pleased to participate in tonight's debate on Canada's contribution to assisting with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. I will be splitting my time with the member for Don Valley East.

Tonight I would like to provide an update on Canada's response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa. Let me begin by stating that the risk to Canadians is very low.

The risk to Canadians remains very low.

There has never been a case of Ebola in Canada. The Ebola virus does not spread easily from person to person. It is spread through direct contact with infected body fluids, not through casual contact, like the flu.

As previously stated by Dr. Greg Taylor, deputy chief public health officer for Canada, we have a number of systems in place in Canada to identify and prevent the spread of serious infectious diseases like Ebola. We have comprehensive procedures in place at our borders to identify sick travellers arriving in Canada. These are set out in the Quarantine Act, which is administered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at every point of entry into Canada. The act requires travellers to report to the Canada Borders Services Agency if they are ill upon arrival. As well, airlines and airport authorities are required to report ill travellers arriving on international flights to quarantine officers. Quarantine officers are vigilant in their surveillance of travellers who are ill. These officers have authorities under the act to take action to protect the public.

In addition, we are fortunate to live in a country like Canada where hospitals have sophisticated infection control systems and procedures in place that are designed to limit the spread of infection, protect health care workers, and provide the best care possible for the patient. To support these systems, the public health agency has a series of infection control guidelines that are used by health care institutions across the country. Dr. Taylor, his team, and all of us are working closely with provincial and territorial partners in health.

Abroad, the Ebola outbreak in Africa is the largest on record. Tragically, it is by far the most severe and complex the world has seen in 40 years of combatting this virus.

What is tragic is that this is the most serious and complex epidemic of this virus that the world has seen in 40 years of fighting this disease. It has had a devastating effect on West African countries.

The impact has been devastating for West African countries.

While the risk to Canadians is very low, Canada is committed to supporting our international partners in responding to the outbreak. To date, Canada has contributed well over $5 million dollars in support of humanitarian, security, and public health interventions to address the spread of the disease in West Africa. This includes things like funding Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders and the World Health Organization to strengthen the field response to the outbreak and to mitigate associated threats to health and security.

We have also provided a mobile lab unit that is now based in Sierra Leone and is staffed by Public Health Agency of Canada employees. It provides on-the-ground laboratory diagnostic support. This helps quickly identify when a person is infected with Ebola so that necessary steps can be taken to protect the person and the community.

After speaking with Dr. Margaret Chan, head of the WHO, we are also donating 800 to 1,000 doses of the experimental vaccine known as vesicular stomatitis virus-based vaccine, made for the Ebola virus. As many may be aware, this vaccine has never been tested in humans but has shown great promise in animal research. Canadian scientists at the agency's national microbiology laboratory developed the vaccine, and the Government of Canada owns the intellectual property associated with the vaccine.

I mention this because Canadians should be very proud not only of our nation's aid efforts and the work of non-governmental organizations on the ground but of the groundbreaking research that continues to be conducted in Winnipeg. This is among the many accomplishments of this world-renowned lab, and I am very proud of the work Dr. Kobinger and his colleagues are doing.

While the experimental vaccine is promising, it does not replace the need for rapid diagnosis, good infection control practices, and tight coordination among partners involved in the response.

Though Canada is a leader in helping to fight this outbreak, it is clear that further comprehensive efforts from the international community are still required to prevent and control the spread. The Director-General of the World Health Organization has called on countries to intensify international, regional, and national outreach to bring the outbreak under control. To meet that goal, preventing further transmission of the virus to health care workers is essential.

Health care professionals responding to the outbreak are often on the front lines of an unpredictable, contaminated environment. They often face the risk of infection themselves, a risk that increases if they do not have the resources and equipment they need, yet protective equipment and resources are in short supply in these affected regions. In some areas, these resources are overly expensive or unaffordable for the most affected countries.

Our international colleagues confirm that health care workers need more resources and the best available protection to reduce the spread and risk of infection. This will of course allow more health care workers to continue working in those communities to help fight the spread of the virus.

Recently the World Health Organization reported a shortage of equipment in the affected countries and has appealed to member states for donations for use by front-line workers in the affected countries, and Canada is stepping up to provide that assistance. I am pleased to announce that tonight our government is offering over $2.5 million in personal protective equipment to the World Health Organization to aid in the global response to Ebola in West Africa.

Equipment such as respirator masks, gloves, face shields, and gowns are necessary to prevent the spread of infection. When used correctly, protective equipment can also help reduce the risk of coming into contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. The equipment and resources we will be providing are medical assets for Canada, meaning that we will still have sufficient stockpiles to meet Canada's own needs and to protect Canadians, but we do have the ability to give.

By providing these much needed supplies, the Government of Canada is enabling health care workers and other response workers in the area to manage this outbreak. It is our hope that our announcement tonight will offer much-needed assistance to workers on the front lines of the Ebola response and that they will have the equipment needed to ensure their safety for the duration of the outbreak.

As we continue to fight together, Canada remains committed to supporting all of our partners in controlling this epidemic.

As we continue to fight together, Canada stands determined to help all of its partners fight this epidemic.

[Questions on the Order Paper, September 15th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a) of the question, since the under-dosing incident, Health Canada has undertaken these actions.

First, on April 19, 2013, Health Canada published the “Interim Regulatory Oversight of Admixing and Compounding” statement, allowing organizations involved in these activities to continue providing these services, if they meet certain conditions, while the department and the provinces and territories, or PTs, worked together to determine the long-term oversight of these activities.

Second, Health Canada convened the Ad Hoc Federal-Provincial-Territorial Working Group on Admixing and Compounding to collaboratively work toward two goals: to examine the scope and extent of hospital pharmacy outsourcing of drug compounding and admixing across Canada; and to determine the appropriate oversight of these activities. Health Canada also convened a sub-working group to bring clarity to the delineation between federal and PT oversight of these activities.

With regard to part (b), Health Canada has also been working collaboratively with key stakeholders such as the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities and the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists to determine how best to achieve regulatory clarity to enhance patient safety, and improve predictability and transparency going forward.

In regard to (c), (d), and (e), our government is determined that Canadians will have tough, effective regulations for drug safety. Health Canada has been actively working on a proposal for a federal approach to commercial compounding and initiated consultations in June 2014 to gain feedback from PTs and other key stakeholders on elements of the proposal and its implementation.

In regard to (c), details will be developed during the regulatory process in consultation with stakeholders.

In regard to (d), the proposed regulatory requirements would be proportional to the level of risk associated with the type of activity in question.

In regard to (e), proposed federal regulations would be an extension of existing regulatory frameworks governing the manufacturing of drugs, and Health Canada would develop an appropriate compliance and enforcement approach based on existing processes and procedures.

In regard to (f), Health Canada conducts routine inspections on a risk-based cycle to monitor compliance with the regulatory requirements, including the requirement to have and follow appropriate protocols related to the manufacturing of drugs. When non-compliance is identified, Health Canada verifies the corrective action taken by the manufacturer and takes appropriate enforcement action to protect the health and safety of Canadians.

In regard to (g), Health Canada administers an inspection program to regularly monitor the compliance of drug manufacturers with the regulatory requirements. Policies, guidelines and procedures related to the inspection program are regularly reviewed and audited to support continuous improvement so that Health Canada’s inspection program provides effective oversight to help protect the health and safety of Canadians. The department also participates in ongoing assessment activities with international partners to confirm the international equivalence of the Canadian inspection system.

Health Canada is also enhancing the integrity of the health product supply chain in Canada by educating stakeholders and improving the oversight of the ingredients found in health products in accordance with the new active pharmaceutical ingredients regulations. In addition to the existing measures in place to protect the health and safety of Canadians, our government is enhancing patient safety by C-17, Vanessa’s Law, which will require the reporting of adverse drug reactions by health institutions, mandatory recalls of unsafe drugs, and increased fines and penalties.