T
he annual report of the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, Dr. Theresa Tam, was tabled in the House of Commons and the Senate. The 2021 Report is entitled: ‘A Vision to Transform Canada’s Public Health System.’
The report is an appeal to strengthen our public health system in Canada in order to be better equipped against present and future health threats. The 2021 report builds on Dr. Tam’s 2020 report (French) From Risk to Resilience: An Equity Approach to COVID-19, which examined the unequal impacts of COVID-19 on the health of people in Canada and the need for a strong public health system centred on equity.
Drawing on lessons learned from the pandemic and dialogues with public health leaders from across the country, this year’s report identifies strategic opportunities and proposes a series of concrete actions to better prepare for the next health emergency and to help all people in Canada achieve better health. These actions are outlined in the Way Forwardsection of the report.
The report is intended to stimulate a national dialogue and catalyze collective action on public health renewal. The report was informed by many sources, including discussions with public health leaders from across the country and at all levels of government, academics, First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders, and community experts. A summary of these consultations can be found in a companion report, ‘What We Heard: A Renewed and Strengthened Public Health System in Canada.’