2.1: Surveillance
Streamline surveillance into a coherent and integrated national surveillance system Other Information:
Effective and timely surveillance is critical to the ability of the government and provinces/territories to accurately track,
plan for and respond to diseases. As such, it is a core competency of PHAC and requires strong partnerships with provincial
and territorial governments, and other organizations such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Canada Health
Infoway Inc. A successful surveillance system requires a combination of robust and flexible systems with people who know how
to use them; data collection, sharing and management across jurisdictions and settings; expert analysis and interpretation;
and communication with public health partners. It is essential in planning, implementing and evaluating public health interventions,
supporting the Minister of Health by informing action on ministerial and federal priorities, and often serves as an early
warning of potential issues of importance to public health. PHAC has a number of strong surveillance systems capturing important
information on public health. However, an overall surveillance strategy is needed to provide the basis for an integrated approach
to information, knowledge and action in PHAC and to support action at the provincial/territorial level. The Agency will streamline
its surveillance into a coherent and integrated national surveillance system, positioning surveillance as a strategic resource
for the Agency – one that all key stakeholders can maximize to its full potential. The end result will be a responsive system
that provides added value, employs cutting-edge technology and provides timely and accurate information to policy-makers,
clinicians and laboratories.
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