“We work to prevent and are prepared to respond to threats to our health and safety through coordinated efforts across the country and around the world.”

 A primary responsibility of government is to protect its citizens from health threats ◦ Safe food, water, air ◦ Transmissible disease  Part of social contract with its citizens  Part of international social contract  Concepts reflected in International Health Regulations

 Binding International Law  Specific requirements for countries public health systems  Countries must meet requirements regarding detection and response to public health threats by 2012  Requirements serve as a basic foundation for a public health security system

 to detect events involving disease or death above expected levels for the particular time and place in all areas  to report all available essential information immediately to the appropriate level of health-care response.  to implement preliminary control measures immediately.

 to confirm the status of reported events and to support or implement additional control measures  to assess reported events immediately and, if found urgent, to report all essential information to the national level.

to rapidly determine the control measures required to prevent domestic and international spread; to provide support and on-site assistance as required to supplement local investigations; to provide a direct link with senior health and other officials to rapidly approve and implement containment and control measures; to provide direct liaison with other relevant government ministries;

To disseminate information and recommendations received from WHO regarding events in the Canada and in other countries; To operate a national public health emergency response plan to respond to events that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern

 Develop local surveillance infrastructure  Harmonize local/provincial surveillance systems  Ensure information flows between governments within Canada and to governments outside Canada  Develop response capacity at all levels of government and strategies for governments to assist each other  Help other countries achieve these objectives