Health Portfolio

The Minister of Health is responsible for maintaining and improving the health of Canadians. This is supported by the Health Portfolio which comprises Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board and Assisted Human Reproduction Canada. The Health Portfolio consists of approximately 12,000 full-time equivalent employees and an annual budget of over $3.8 billion.

Assisted Human Reproduction Canada

Assisted Human Reproduction Canada’s objectives are to protect and promote the health and safety, human dignity and human rights of Canadians who use or are born of assisted human reproduction technologies, and to foster ethical principles in relation to assisted human reproduction and other related matters under the Assisted Human Reproduction Act.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is Canada’s premier federal agency for health research. Its objective is to create new knowledge that can be translated into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a strengthened health care system.

Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission

The Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission is charged with providing the trade secret protection mechanism within the National Office of the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. The Commission’s dual role is to balance the right of industry to protect trade secrets and the need of workers to have accurate health and safety information about hazardous chemicals used in the workplace.

Health Canada

Health Canada is the Federal department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health, while respecting individual choices and circumstances.

Public Health Agency of Canada

The Public Health Agency of Canada has been created to deliver on the Government of Canada’s commitment to help protect the health and safety of all Canadians. Its activities focus on preventing chronic diseases, like cancer and heart disease, preventing injuries and responding to public health emergencies and infectious disease outbreaks.

Patented Medicine Prices Review Board

The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board is a quasi-judicial body that protects consumers and contributes to health care by ensuring that the manufacturers' prices of patented medicines are not excessive.