Canadian government committed to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks

The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, committed to continued efforts to strengthen global health security at the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) meeting in Washington, DC. The meeting brought Ministers and representatives from over 50 countries together at the White House to discuss future actions to ensure long-term global health security, and global efforts to address the ongoing Ebola crisis in West Africa.

The Government of Canada, along with GHSA member countries, has committed to concrete action to support new and expanded work areas over the next five years. These priorities include providing ongoing technical assistance in bio-security and bio-safety, as well as in the areas of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), medical countermeasures and personnel deployment.

Going forward, Canada has agreed to participate in the Steering Group, made up of nine countries, which will guide the GHSA actions over the next five years.

The Minister also took the opportunity to meet with United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell to discuss shared priorities including international efforts to respond to the Ebola outbreak.

Quick Facts

• The GHSA was launched by the White House and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in February 2014 to strengthen multi-sectoral action to more effectively prevent, detect, and respond to the emergence and spread of infectious diseases — whether natural, accidental, or intentional.
• The GHSA is comprised of more than 50 countries and international organizations including the WHO, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Organization for Animal Health.
• The Government of Canada continues to support international efforts to respond to the Ebola outbreak and to enhance security capacity in West Africa. To date, Canada has contributed $35.39 million to support the World Health Organization (WHO) and other groups in their humanitarian and security interventions to address the spread of the virus. Canada also offered to donate over $2.5 million worth of personal protective equipment to the WHO. Canada has also sent a mobile lab unit, based in Sierra Leone and staffed by Public Health Agency of Canada employees, that provides on-the-ground laboratory diagnostic support. This helps quickly identify when a person is infected with Ebola, so necessary steps can be taken to protect the person and their community.

Quotes

Our Government is committed to working with our partners to advance global efforts to detect, prevent and address emerging health security threats through the Global Health Security Agenda. We will continue to work with our international partners to prevent and respond to infectious disease outbreaks, like Ebola.
Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health

SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada