Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
not surprisingly, there was consensus at the conference—a firm intention to
do more than simply mitigate the mortality, economic, and social outcomes of an
influenza pandemic. Determining that improved surveillance, collaboration, reporting,
and coordinated response will save lives long before the disease outbreaks reach the
pandemic level, the ministers and officials endorsed two main principles for effective
global cooperation: full transparency among countries and the institutions involved
in responding to the risk of pandemic influenza and full support to the leading role of
multilateral institutions. Ministers, canadian and otherwise, approached the ottawa
meeting as an important step toward securing long-term, sustained political and
institutional engagement to address global pandemic preparedness. In this respect,
the weapons are being cast before the battle.
Conclusions
In this brief consideration of canada's SarS experience and the reforms subsequently
proposed in the naylor report and then implemented, the ottawa 2005 conference,
and the birth of PHac, it is clear that canadians have taken lessons learned into a
broader spectrum, concerning national pandemic preparedness both at home and
in the global village. Domestically, the creation of a network of medical officers of
health for the 13 provincial and territorial jurisdictions restructured communication
among federal and provincial governments, the media, and the public, allowing
public health to be conceived more inclusively as a collective effort. Most basically,
the SarS experience reinforced the case for a collaborative and coordinated
approach to public health, forcing canadians to realise that 'systems-based thinking
and coordination of activity in a carefully-planned infrastructure are … integral to
core functions in public health, due to its population-wide and preventive focus'
(national advisory committee 2003, 212). Internationally, canada has played a
substantial role as chair of the GHSaG, strengthened its relationship with the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, the cDc, and the wHo, and made
substantial improvements to the
Quarantine Act
. Moreover, the existence and
fundamental outcome of the ottawa conference, at which representatives from the
30 countries and 9 international organisations shared openly across the table, is
another substantial indicator of canada's dedication to global health. the conference
was a source of hope, a signal of devotion to developing a culture of transparency
and collectivism.
Ultimately, however, the most important conclusion to draw from the experience
of SarS is that these advancements, although important, are merely steps toward
securing long-term, prolonged political and institutional commitment to addressing
global pandemic preparedness. things may be better than ever, but there is still
much work to do. In light of this, and with continued emphasis on communication,
transparency, collaborative problem solving, and sustained engagement on the issues
surrounding global health, it is appropriate to conclude by addressing some enduring
problems.
