Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
License needed for work use Register

Search

 

Cablegate: Wgsars: Canadian Federal Public Health Role

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 000989

SIPDIS

STATE FOR OES/PCI, WHA/CAN (RUNNING)

HHS FOR OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, OFFICE OF
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (STEIGER)

CDC for epidemiology program office

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO AMED CA
SUBJECT: WGSARS: Canadian Federal Public Health Role

Ref. (A) Toronto 00906

(B) Ottawa 00899
(C) Toronto 00886

------
Summary
-------

1. In Canada the provincial governments have the
primary responsibility for health matters, including
managing public health emergencies. The federal
authorities nevertheless do play an important
coordination role between the provinces, with other
countries and the WHO. In addition to that role the
federal authority, Health Canada, has specialized
laboratory assets as well as public health specialists,
available to assist the provinces. End summary.

------------
Federal Role
------------

2. On March 26, the Government of Ontario declared
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) to be a
provincial emergency (Ref B). SARS is now a reportable
disease under Ontario's Health Protection and Promotion
Act. Ontario provincial health authorities have
extended restrictive hospital measures to all hospitals
in the province (Ref A) and thousands of residents of
Toronto have been asked to quarantine themselves at
home for 10 days. This response underscores the fact
that primary public health monitoring and infectious
disease response is managed at the provincial level.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

3. Under the Canadian constitution, the provinces have
primary responsibility for managing health issues,
including public health and disease surveillance
matters. There is, nevertheless, a significant role
for the Canadian federal authorities and the federal
government possesses key assets that support the
provincial efforts.

4. John Rainford, Crisis Communications Chief at Health
Canada explained the specific federal role in managing
the SARS outbreak.

-- Health Canada issues travel advisories on behalf of
the federal government with regard to travel to foreign
location. Health Canada's travel advisories are
available at the Health Canada website: www.hc-
sc.gc.ca. They currently advise against travel to
Hanoi, China including Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.

-- The federal authorities are the focal point for
Canadian coordination with the World Health
Organization (WHO). For example, when the WHO issued a
global alert for cases of atypical pneumonia on March
12, 2003, Health Canada immediately notified all
provinces and territories. Health Canada is also the
focal point for coordination with other international
partners such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC). Rainford told us that CDC and
Health Canada staff are currently serving in exchange
position at one another's Emergency Response Centers to
help manage the SARS issue.

-- Health Canada operates Canada's "National
Microbiology Laboratory", a level 4 Bio-containment
facility and laboratory located in Winnipeg, Manitoba,
where the Canadian search for the SARS infectious agent
is being conducted. We understand that this facility
is also a member of the CDC network of laboratories and
we understand that its staff is in frequent
communication with their CDC counterparts.

-- Health Canada provides assistance to the provincial
health authorities. For example twelve federal
epidemiologists have been sent to Toronto assist
provincial public health authorities during the current
SARS situation.

-- The federal government has powers relating to entry-
exit controls. After being informed of the SARS
situation, the federal government immediately activated
protocols to track potentially infected passengers
arriving from the epicenters in Vietnam and China. In
instances where a returning passenger shows SARS
symptoms, the passenger manifests for that person's
flights to Canada have been examined and provincial or
territorial public health authorities are in touch with
the other passengers to determine if any other
passengers demonstrate SARS symptoms. Health Canada
also began distributing Health Alert Notices to
international passengers arriving in or returning
directly to Canada from affected areas in Asia, which
advised passengers to see a physician if they began to
have symptoms related to SARS (Ref A). Also, Health
Canada has sent quarantine officers to Pearson
(Toronto), Vancouver and Dorval (Montreal)
International Airports to support airport staff.

-- In a worst-case scenario, the federal government
could invoke the Quarantine Act. The following summary
is from Health Canada: "The Quarantine Act would
authorize Health Canada to detain persons, goods or
conveyances on suspicion that the persons, goods and
conveyances might introduce a dangerous communicable
disease into Canada. The authority permits detention
without due process for a period of 48 hours in order
to undertake a medical examination of persons, analysis
of goods or inspection of conveyances. If detention is
required beyond 48 hours, Health Canada must present
evidence for a continuation of the detention in a
federal court. These powers also apply to persons and
conveyances leaving Canada for another country."
Health Canada emphasizes that this Act would only be
invoked if necessary and that such an action is not
being considering at this time.

-------
Comment
-------

5. Health Canada officials are taking the SARS public
health situation very seriously, as evidenced by the
support they have provided to the provincial
authorities and measures taken to screen passengers at
airports. Health Canada is collaborating closely and
coordinating efforts with their counterparts across
Canada, including the Chief Medical Officers of Health
in each province and territory. Furthermore, they are
confident that, as and when SARS cases are identified,
they will be able to meet any additional provincial
requests for assistance.

Cellucci

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
World Headlines

 
UN News: Aid Access Is Key Priority

Among the key issues facing diplomats is securing the release of a reported 199 Israeli hostages, seized during the Hamas raid. “History is watching,” says Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths. “This war was started by taking those hostages. Of course, there's a history between Palestinian people and the Israeli people, and I'm not denying any of that. But that act alone lit a fire, which can only be put out with the release of those hostages.” More


Save The Children: Four Earthquakes In a Week Leave Thousands Homeless

Families in western Afghanistan are reeling after a fourth earthquake hit Herat Province, crumbling buildings and forcing people to flee once again, with thousands now living in tents exposed to fierce winds and dust storms. The latest 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit 30 km outside of Herat on Sunday, shattering communities still reeling from strong and shallow aftershocks. More

UN News: Nowhere To Go In Gaza

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said some 1.1M people would be expected to leave northern Gaza and that such a movement would be “impossible” without devastating humanitarian consequences and appeals for the order to be rescinded. The WHO joined the call for Israel to rescind the relocation order, which amounted to a “death sentence” for many. More


Access Now: Telecom Blackout In Gaza An Attack On Human Rights

By October 10, reports indicated that fixed-line internet, mobile data, SMS, telephone, and TV networks are all seriously compromised. With significant and increasing damage to the electrical grid, orders by the Israeli Ministry of Energy to stop supplying electricity and the last remaining power station now out of fuel, many are no longer able to charge devices that are essential to communicate and access information. More

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.