What is the government of Canada doing to prepare for a possible influenza pandemic?
Canada has a pandemic plan, negotiated amongst the federal, provincial and territorial governments, evergreen in nature, which has been cited by the World Health Organization as a model for other countries. A framework for a broader response is now being developed which would recognize the links between animal health and human health and that the impacts of a pandemic would go beyond the public health sphere. Numerous departments and agencies are involved in the Government of Canada=s efforts to deal with a pandemic. The government’s budget announcement in May 2006 included the provision of $460 million ($1 billion over five years) to further improve Canada’s pandemic preparedness.
