Charting the Future Direction of National Microbiological Reference Services
in Canada

[Table of Contents]

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Background

Through its laboratory expertise, Health Canada's Bureau of Microbiology contributes significantly to the understanding and control of human disease in Canada. As part of the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control (LCDC), the Bureau plays an important role in Canada's public health intelligence system. Today's environment of change and transition has created may challenges for the field of public health microbiology-but it has also created opportunity.

This in mind, Health Canada and LCDC invited a broad cross-section of the microbiological and public health community in Canada, along with international representation, to help shape the future of Canadian microbiological reference services and public health investigation. The medium chosen to facilitate this stakeholder input was a two-day forum, held June 6 and 7, 1995 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Why a forum?

• There is a need to define essential microbiological services and how best to deliver these services.

• The Laboratory Centre for Disease Control (LCDC) is re-engineering programs and as such is re-addressing mandates, technologies, budgets and priority setting mechanisms to enhance delivery of services.

• The Bureau of Microbiology is relocating to Winnipeg, and with state of the art facilities co-located with Agriculture Canada, it is an event which provides an opportunity to address the evolution of microbiology reference services and programs for the 21st century.

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