Learning from SARS - Renewal of Public Health in Canada - A report of the National Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health October 2003

Oct 5, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine

Report detailing the National Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health’s third-party assessment of Canada’s public health efforts during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak. Establishes the committee’s mandate by the Canadian Minister of Health in May 2003 and outlines how data were gathered through document review and interviews. Summarizes lessons learned and proposes integrated, longer-term actions to renew population-focused public health systems and strengthen outbreak detection, prevention, understanding, and management.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages234

Reading Time9 h 50 min

AccessFree to download

Preface

Committee establishment and mandate

Scope of the report and key elements

Approach to data gathering and analysis

L e a r n i n g f r o m Renewal of Public Health in Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L e a r n i n g f r o m Renewal of Public Health in Canada A report of the National Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health October 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i The members* of the National Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health were: • Dr. David Naylor, Dean of Medicine at the University of Toronto (Chair) • Dr. Sheela Basrur, Medical Officer of Health, City of Toronto • Dr. Michel G. Bergeron, Chairman of the Division of Microbiology and of the Infectious Diseases Research Centre of Laval University, Quebec City • Dr. Robert C. Brunham, Medical Director of the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver • Dr. David Butler-Jones, Medical Health Officer for Sun Country, and Consulting Medical Health Officer for Saskatoon Health Regions, Regina • Gerald Dafoe, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Public Health Association, Ottawa • Dr. Mary Ferguson-Paré, Vice-President, Professional Affairs and Chief Nurse Executive at University Health Network, Toronto • Frank Lussing, Past President and CEO of York Central Hospital, Richmond Hill • Dr. Allison McGeer, Director of Infection Control, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto • Kaaren R. Neufeld, Executive Director and Chief Nursing Officer at St. Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg • Dr. Frank Plummer, Scientific Director of the Health Canada National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg (ex officio) * The Committee was materially assisted through corresponding members of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. L e a r n i n g f r o m S A R S This publication can also be made available in/on computer diskette/large print/audio-cassette/Braille upon request. For further information or to obtain additional copies, please contact: Publications Health Canada Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9 Tel.: (613) 954-5995 Fax: (613) 941-5366 ©Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2003 Cat. H21-220/2003E ISBN: 0-662-34984-9 Publication Number: 1210 Learning from SARS: Renewal of Public Health in Canada ii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S A R S a n d P u b l i c H e a l t h PREFACE The National Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health was established in early May 2003 by the Minister of Health of the Government of Canada, the Hon. A. Anne McLellan, in the circumstances surrounding the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome [SARS]. The Committee’s mandate was to provide a“third party assessment of current public health efforts and lessons learned for ongoing and future infectious disease control.” The Minister asked the Committee to build on current public health interventions, and to foster and encourage collaboration among jurisdictions, professionals, andinstitutions. We were urged to work towards integration of all aspects of the containment of SARS (epidemiology, management, communication, and international coordination). The outbreak of SARS in the Greater Toronto Area was contained during our mandate, as expected. Therefore, we extended this integrative approach to our analysis, and recommendations regarding emerging infectious diseases and public health in general. Most of this report deals with two major elements of our mandate: provision of a short-term assessment of lessons learned from current public health interventions to contain SARS, and advice regarding issues for necessary longer-term action regarding infectious

FAQs

When was the National Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health established, and by whom?

The committee was established in early May 2003 by the Minister of Health of the Government of Canada, Hon. A. Anne McLellan.

What was the committee’s primary mandate for the SARS-related assessment?

It was tasked with providing a third-party assessment of current public health efforts and lessons learned for ongoing and future infectious disease control.

How did the committee conduct its data gathering and analysis?

It reviewed a broad range of source documents and reports, and the chair and a staff member conducted interviews with informants involved in the Toronto outbreak, supported by policy and research advisors.

Oct 5, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine