Who is responsible for the monitoring and surveillance of the blood system?
Health Canada is responsible for disease surveillance in Canada. As part of this mandate, Health Canada monitors the emergence of new pathogens that could potentially pose a threat to the safety of the blood system. In addition, through its role as the regulatory authority for the blood system in Canada, Health Canada monitors national and international trends that affect blood management and safety. In addition, their efforts are supplemented via the establishment of the National Blood Safety Council, which advises the federal government on blood safety matters that fall within its jurisdictional responsibilities. Canadian Blood Services is also involved in monitoring and surveillance and has an epidemiology department responsible for trending diseases in various populations, including our donor population. In addition, Canadian Blood Services is involved in studies that examine the impact of some policies on the security of the blood supply. As such, Canadian Blood Services assesses
