Newfoundland and Labrador Roundtable Report

In St. John's, the Minister of State met approximately 26 Newfoundland and Labrador health stakeholders.

They advised the Minister to consider the following factors in building a Public Health Agency of Canada.

1. Regarding a Mandate for a Public Health Agency

• The Agency needs a mandate to focus on chronic diseases and emergency preparedness;
• The Agency should have a mandate for public relations and marketing - education and communications must be a top priority in communicating to the public;
• Governance:
  • Should the Agency report to the federal Minister or to a combination of federal, provincial and territorial health ministers?
  • Is there a role for the Health Council in governing the activities of the Agency?
  • How can the Agency's independence from government and political control be ensured?
• The Agency has to help federal, provincial and territorial governments get beyond their disputes, so they can better deal with health of Canadians.

2. Regarding Operational Strategies for a Public Health Agency

• An Agency should consider the importance of engaging educators and schools in communicating basic public health messages to children;
• An Agency must build on existing strengths within provincial and local public health structures. Municipalities in particular must become more engaged in health issues;
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the voluntary sector must be part of any national public health network as they have a large and growing role to play;
• The national public health network should make better use of the infrastructure and network of pharmacists in the country - through public-health skill development and direct funding of public-health initiatives; and,
• Agency will need a cross-cultural focus.

3. Investments

Participants urged an Agency to focus on the following priority investments:

• Federal government must play a role in helping provinces bridge the gap in public-health human resources across the country, particularly in rural areas.

4. Public Health Issues

Participants also raised concerns about specific public health issues:

• The Agency will need to pay attention to mental health as a public-health issue.

5. Chief Public Health Officer

• The Chief Public Health Officer should lead in addressing the issue of a National Immunization Strategy for that would benefit all Canadians.