Public Health Agency of Canada

History and establishment

The Public Health Agency of Canada was formed as a direct result of official inquiries into Canada's handling of the severe SARS outbreak in the early 2000s. Both the Ontario provincial inquiry and the National Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health recommended the creation of a new federal organization dedicated to public health. The agency was first instantiated by an Order in Council in 2004 under Prime Minister Paul Martin's government, with its founding legislation, the Public Health Agency of Canada Act, coming into force on December 15, 2006, under Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government. At its inception, most agency staff were located in the former Gandalf Technologies building in Nepean, Ontario, and were transferred from Health Canada's Population and Public Health Branch. The first person to hold the dual role of President and Chief Public Health Officer was Dr. David Butler-Jones.

By the time the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic occurred, PHAC had been operating for three years and played a central role in the national response. During that pandemic, approximately 10 percent of the Canadian population was infected with the virus, with 363 confirmed deaths as of December 8, 2009. Canada launched a vaccination campaign in October 2009 and vaccinated a higher proportion of its citizens than any other country. The agency's handling of the pandemic was later reviewed in a document issued in November 2010, which assessed the response and identified lessons learned.

Following the departure of Dr. Butler-Jones, the position of Chief Public Health Officer remained vacant for 16 months until Dr. Gregory W. Taylor was appointed to the post on September 24, 2014. Dr. Taylor had served in the role on an interim basis during the vacancy. A significant structural change occurred in November 2014 when the Harper government, through an omnibus budget bill, reorganized PHAC's management into a bicameral structure. This change separated the leadership of the agency, creating a parallel Presidential position that could be filled by non-medical personnel, while the Chief Public Health Officer role remained a scientific appointment. The change was criticized by opposition health critics at the time who argued it was buried in a large budget bill to avoid scrutiny.

Organizational structure and leadership

The Public Health Agency of Canada operates under a distinct leadership structure where the President and the Chief Public Health Officer hold separate but complementary roles. The President is a Governor in Council appointment serving a five-year term and oversees the overall administration and operations of the agency. The Chief Public Health Officer is also a Governor in Council appointment and serves as Canada's lead health professional, providing independent advice to both the Minister of Health and the President of PHAC. The Public Health Agency of Canada Act empowers the CPHO to communicate directly with other levels of government, organizations, and the public on health issues and requires an annual report on the state of public health in Canada.

As of 2026, the President of PHAC is Nancy Hamzawi, who was appointed in June 2025, succeeding Heather Jeffrey. The Chief Public Health Officer is Dr. Joss Reimer, who was named to the position on February 20, 2026, for a three-year term beginning April 1, 2026. The agency's headquarters are split between two main pillars: its administrative headquarters in Ottawa and the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Winnipeg lab is Canada's only Level 4 microbiology facility for human health, housing the highest containment laboratories for handling the most dangerous pathogens. Both the President and the CPHO officiate from Ottawa, with the President ranked above the CPHO in the departmental organization chart.

The agency operates within the federal Health Portfolio, alongside organizations like Health Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Its internal structure includes numerous branches and programs focused on specific public health functions. A key governance document guiding intergovernmental cooperation is the Federal/Provincial/Territorial (FPT) Senior Advisory Committee's Public Health Response Plan for Biological Events. This plan, approved in October 2017, outlines roles, responsibilities, and a scalable response framework for national public health emergencies caused by biological agents, aiming to facilitate an efficient and consistent approach across all Canadian jurisdictions.

Key responsibilities and programs

The Public Health Agency of Canada's mandate encompasses a wide range of activities focused on protecting against health threats, preventing disease and injury, and promoting health and equity. The agency is the locus of control for several critical national health defence systems and administers multiple grant and contribution funding programs for external public health projects. Its core responsibilities are carried out through specialized branches, centres, and surveillance systems that monitor, prepare for, and respond to public health issues across the country. These include the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Branch, the Prion Diseases Program, and the Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response.

PHAC manages several vital national stockpiles and preparedness systems, including the National Emergency Stockpile System and the National Antiviral Stockpile. The agency's Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response (CEPR) is responsible for assessing and planning for health risks arising from natural disasters, infectious disease outbreaks, and incidents involving chemical, biological, radioactive, or explosive substances. PHAC also houses the Canadian Field Epidemiology Program and the Canadian Public Health Service, which deploy expertise during outbreaks and emergencies. The agency produces travel health alerts and leads national efforts in immunization, health promotion, and injury prevention.

The agency operates and maintains several nationally significant surveillance and reporting systems that are fundamental to public health practice in Canada. The Canadian Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (CNDSS) collects and maintains data on approximately 60 nationally notifiable infectious diseases, with records dating back to 1924. The Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance System (CJDSS), based in Ottawa, monitors cases of this rare prion disease. The Canadian Adverse Events Following Immunization Surveillance System (CAEFISS) is a federal-provincial-territorial system for post-market vaccine safety monitoring, receiving passive reports and conducting active surveillance. The Canada Communicable Disease Report (CCDR) is a bilingual, peer-reviewed scientific journal published monthly by PHAC, continuing a publication history that began in 1975.

Through its funding programs, PHAC supports projects led by universities, non-governmental organizations, community groups, and Indigenous organizations. These projects address mental health, dementia, suicide prevention, injury prevention, chronic disease, infectious diseases, vaccination, and the health impacts of climate change. The agency uses open, targeted, and directed solicitation processes to award grants and contributions, with published service standards for application acknowledgment and payment processing. Funded initiatives often focus on populations facing higher health risks or inequities, such as youth, Black communities, and people who use drugs, extending the federal public health mandate into local and regional actions.

Notable incidents and controversies

The Public Health Agency of Canada has been involved in several significant incidents that have tested its systems and drawn public and parliamentary scrutiny. One major controversy involved the 2019 dismantling of the Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN), an early-warning system that monitored global media and data for signs of emerging health threats. On May 24, 2019, GPHIN was completely disbanded, and an edict was issued requiring all such health alerts to be approved by senior PHAC managers. This decision was later investigated by the auditor general of Canada in July 2020 following reports by whistleblowers. Prior to its dissolution, GPHIN had been described by the World Health Organization as a base of global early warning, providing approximately 20 percent of the WHO's epidemiological intelligence.

Another serious incident involved the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg and two Chinese scientists, Xiangguo Qiu and her husband Keding Cheng. The couple, who researched dangerous pathogens like Ebola, were dismissed from their positions at the University of Winnipeg in July 2019 and were later terminated by PHAC in January 2021. The RCMP was called in May 2019 to investigate a shipment of BSL4-grade viruses to China. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service had urged the removal of the scientists' security clearances. PHAC President Iain Stewart stated in March 2021 that the termination resulted from review processes initiated in 2018 relating to possible breaches of security protocols. The agency repeatedly declined to provide reasons for the dismissal to a House of Commons special committee, citing legal advice.

Further revelations in 2021 indicated that a People's Liberation Army soldier named Feihu Yan had worked at the NML, co-authored papers with Qiu, and was paid by PHAC during a five-year collaboration. It was also reported that Qiu had made at least five trips to China during 2017 and 2018, funded by an unidentified third party. The matter was referred to the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) for review. On September 18, 2020, PHAC President Tina Namiesniowski resigned 17 months into her five-year term, following the resignation of a vice-president earlier that same week.

Response to the COVID-19 pandemic

The Public Health Agency of Canada played a central leadership role in coordinating Canada's national public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency was responsible for surveillance, risk assessment, scientific guidance, and intergovernmental coordination throughout the crisis. One of its key advisory mechanisms was the COVID-19 Clinical Pharmacology Task Group, an ad-hoc committee convened in 2020. This group was composed of experts in infectious disease, microbiology, clinical pharmacology, and pharmaceutical sciences from universities across Canada, and its work concluded on March 30, 2021, after which its statements were removed from the government website.

The Clinical Pharmacology Task Group released several evidence-based statements on potential COVID-19 treatments. The group advised against the use of hydroxychloroquine for treating the disease. For hospitalized patients, the task group advocated for the use of the corticosteroid dexamethasone. Regarding the antiviral drug remdesivir, the group recommended it only be administered as part of a clinical trial, reflecting the evolving evidence at the time. The membership of this influential group included co-chairs Marina Salvadori of PHAC and Dr. Michael Rieder of the University of Western Ontario, along with experts from Université de Montréal, Dalhousie University, University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, and McGill University.

The agency managed travel alerts as part of its systemic healthcare defences. It activated the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Public Health Response Plan for Biological Events, which had been in place since at least October 2017. This plan outlines how the national response to public health events caused by biological agents will be conducted and coordinated. PHAC also coordinates with international bodies like the World Health Organization, to which Canada contributes.

Recent developments and international collaboration

The Public Health Agency of Canada continues to evolve its strategies and strengthen international partnerships to address current and future public health challenges. A significant recent development was the adoption of a joint action plan with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on February 16, 2026. During a visit by PHAC President Nancy Hamzawi to the ECDC headquarters, the two agencies formalized their longstanding collaboration with a plan outlining concrete areas for joint work on pandemic preparedness, risk assessment, epidemic intelligence, and surveillance. ECDC Director Pamela Rendi-Wagner noted this was the first such operational plan between the two agencies, marking an important milestone for global health security.

PHAC maintains active collaboration with other international partners, particularly in North America. The agency has worked closely with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for nearly two decades, having signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2007. Similar agreements are in place with public health agencies in other countries, reflecting a network of 16 global bilateral agreements for ECDC alone. These partnerships facilitate information sharing, joint outbreak investigations, and capacity building, which are essential for detecting and responding to transnational health threats. The two agencies also explored future opportunities for joint international missions in outbreak investigation during the 2026 meeting. On the domestic front, PHAC is preparing to publish its 2026-27 Departmental Plan. The agency also supports and participates in major national gatherings like Public Health 2026, the Canadian Public Health Association's annual conference scheduled for March 11 to 13, 2026, at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montreal. This conference brings together professionals, researchers, policymakers, and trainees to share research and advocate for evidence-based public health policies.

Chief Public Health Officer annual reports

As mandated by the Public Health Agency of Canada Act, the Chief Public Health Officer submits an annual report to the Minister of Health on the state of public health in Canada. These reports summarize evidence on high-priority issues and provide recommendations to improve the health of Canadians. Each report focuses on a specific theme, reflecting evolving public health priorities and lessons learned from recent events, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The reports are intended for a public audience and serve as a key tool for communicating scientific advice and advocating for systemic improvements across governments and communities.

The themes of the CPHO reports have evolved to address contemporary challenges, from immediate pandemic recovery to longer-term issues like climate change and health equity. The reports provide a documented record of the agency's strategic thinking and public health priorities over time. They often call for collaborative action across governments, sectors, and communities to address the complex determinants of health. These reports are complemented by the agency's departmental results reports, which are provided to Parliament and detail PHAC's performance against its planned priorities and allocated resources, ensuring accountability and transparency in the agency's use of public funds.

Questions about Public Health Agency of Canada

What is the Public Health Agency of Canada and what does it do?

The Public Health Agency of Canada is a federal agency responsible for public health, emergency preparedness and response, and infectious and chronic disease control and prevention. Its activities focus on preventing and controlling infectious and chronic diseases, preparing for and responding to public health emergencies, and promoting health and well-being. Key functions include operating the National Microbiology Laboratory, managing national emergency stockpiles, running disease surveillance systems like the Canadian Notifiable Disease Surveillance System, and funding community health projects through grants and contributions. The agency also provides scientific guidance during health crises and publishes the Canada Communicable Disease Report, a peer-reviewed journal.

Why was the Public Health Agency of Canada created?

PHAC was created in direct response to recommendations from official inquiries into Canada's handling of the severe SARS outbreak in 2003. Both the Ontario provincial inquiry and the federal National Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health concluded that Canada needed a dedicated national agency to lead public health efforts. This led to the agency's formation by Order in Council in 2004 under Prime Minister Paul Martin's government. Its founding legislation, the Public Health Agency of Canada Act, came into force on December 15, 2006, under Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government, formally establishing its mandate and structure within the federal Health Portfolio.

Who is the current Chief Public Health Officer of Canada?

The current Chief Public Health Officer of Canada is Dr. Joss Reimer. She was named to the position on February 20, 2026, and her three-year term began on April 1, 2026. The CPHO is Canada's lead health professional, appointed by the Governor in Council. The role is legally required to be held by a scientist who provides independent advice to the Minister of Health and the President of PHAC. The CPHO also has a duty to communicate directly with Canadians and other levels of government on public health issues and must submit an annual report on the state of public health in Canada, as outlined in the Public Health Agency of Canada Act.

What happened with the Chinese scientists at the Winnipeg lab?

Two Chinese scientists, Xiangguo Qiu and Keding Cheng, were employed by PHAC at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. They were dismissed from affiliated university positions in July 2019 and terminated by PHAC in January 2021 following an RCMP investigation into a shipment of high-containment viruses to China. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service had recommended their security clearances be revoked. PHAC President Iain Stewart stated the termination resulted from review processes started in 2018 concerning possible breaches of security protocols. The agency declined to provide details to a parliamentary committee, citing legal advice. A People's Liberation Army soldier named Feihu Yan also worked at the lab and co-authored papers with Qiu.

What role did PHAC play in Canada's COVID-19 response?

PHAC played a central leadership role in Canada's COVID-19 pandemic response. The agency coordinated national surveillance, risk assessment, and public health guidance. It convened the COVID-19 Clinical Pharmacology Task Group, which provided evidence-based advice on treatments, recommending against hydroxychloroquine and for dexamethasone in hospitalized patients. PHAC managed travel advisories, coordinated with provinces and territories through the existing Public Health Response Plan for Biological Events, and worked with international partners. The agency also monitored vaccine safety through the Canadian Adverse Events Following Immunization Surveillance System.

How does PHAC support public health projects across Canada?

PHAC administers a broad portfolio of grant and contribution funding programs that support external organizations to carry out public health projects. These programs finance initiatives in areas such as mental health, dementia, suicide prevention, injury prevention, chronic disease, infectious diseases, vaccination, and climate-related health impacts. Funding is awarded through open, targeted, or directed solicitation processes to universities, non-governmental organizations, community groups, Indigenous organizations, and provincial or territorial governments. PHAC publishes service standards for these programs, committing to acknowledge applications promptly and issue payments within 30 business days after approving required documentation.

Sources and further reading

• Public Health Agency of Canada (Wikipedia)
• Public Health 2026 (cpha.ca)
• Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) Funding Programs (hellodarwin.com)
• Public Health Agency of Canada visits ECDC for enhanced ... (ecdc.europa.eu)

Checked by the Nosy Mag desk. Last updated 2026-10-31.