Posted on April 7: McMaster part of drive for new national public health agency

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/ministry.jpg” caption=”CPHA news conference”]McMaster University is part of a Hamilton-Toronto-Guelph health research triangle being touted by the Ontario government as the location for a new national public health agency.

At a press conference at the Health Sciences Centre Tuesday, Marie Bountrogianni, MPP for Hamilton Mountain, said McMaster, and Hamilton, should take a lead role in the development of the Canada Public Health Agency (CPHA) proposed by the federal government in the recent Throne Speech.

“You have a public health powerhouse here in Ontario when you add up McMaster University's international reputation in health policy, evaluation and information, Toronto's real-world experience of managing the SARS outbreak, and Guelph University's world-renowned expertise in animal and water-borne illnesses,” said Bountrogianni. She holds a double portfolio as Ontario's minister of children's services and the minister of citizenship and immigration.

McMaster President Peter George said the seriousness of infectious disease threats are well known in Ontario after the emergence in Canada of SARS, West Nile virus, BSE and now the Avian flu. He agreed with the minister, pointing to the University's renowned scientists in medicine, geography, biology and biochemistry as well as its position on the leading edge of education of health care professionals.

John Kelton, dean and vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences, said McMaster is in partnership with the University of Guelph and the Toronto Region Research Alliance in seeking to have a key part of the federal initiative in the Golden Horseshoe region.

He said that $10 million of the recent gift from Michael G. DeGroote will be used to establish McMaster's role in a CPHA.

“Hamilton, and McMaster, are ready to take a leadership role in the development of a national response to the need to improve Canada's public health capability and capacity.”

Hamilton mayor Larry DiIanni and the city's medical officer of health Elizabeth Richardson, also spoke of their support for the initiative.

Richardson, who is also an assistant clinical professor for the Faculty, said the federal agency needs to offer leadership, a comprehensive health human resources strategy and to ensure the needed research capacity and goals are achieved.

“I look forward to working with our government leaders to make this a reality,” she said.

The Toronto-Hamilton-Guelph triangle is home to the largest training program for public health specialists, the largest public health unit in the country, the largest concentration of academic, scientific and health research capacity, the strongest critical care and trauma care community, world-class biomedical research, and international expertise in zoonotic (animal to human) disease.

Photo caption: Pictured at Tuesday's news conference, from left, John Kelton, dean and vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Elizabeth Richardson, Hamilton's medical officer of health, Marie Bountrogianni, MPP for Hamilton Mountain and Peter George, McMaster President. Photo credit: Robert Tatlock