April 21, 2005
For Immediate Release

News Release

Public Health Agency Responds to World Health Emergencies

OTTAWA - Canada's Public Health Agency has agreed to a World Health Organization request to prolong its mission in Angola, where a team led by Dr. Heinz Feldmann has been helping with diagnostic detection of the Marburg virus. The Agency's National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg this week dispatched a second two-person team to the area to relieve Dr. Feldmann's team.

Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh said it is important that a country like Canada play its part in an international effort to battle the deadly virus, which has been responsible for more than 200 deaths since October.

Carolyn Bennett, the Minister of State (Public Health), said we are living in the reality where germs know no borders, so what happens half-way around the world has repercussions for Canadians.

Dr. David Butler-Jones, Chief Public Health Officer, added that his Agency is committed to collaboration and cooperation with the WHO and other partners in the international community on improving global public health outcomes and containing the spread of disease.

“We were told that the situation in Angola remains severe and I think we have a responsibility to help when it's within our means to do so," said Minister Dosanjh. The minister noted that the government, through the Public Health Agency of Canada, is participating in a number of international fronts.

“Helping the world is not only the right thing to do, it also improves the health security of all Canadians," added Minister Bennett.

Staff from the Agency recently participated in a CIDA mission to Southeast Asia to assess the possibilities of future collaboration in the region.

As well, the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) recently dispatched a two-person lab team and portable laboratory to Vietnam to help with rapid H5N1 (Avian flu) diagnosis. This is part of an ongoing collaboration to help the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) in Hanoi to improve their ability to perform rapid and accurate diagnostic tests. This is the second time a team from NML has gone to Vietnam, the first team was in Hanoi in April, 2004. Additionally, three NIHE staff came to Winnipeg for training in October 2004.

Canada is also playing a major role in the formulation of new International Health Regulations (IHR) for the World Health Organization to better respond to emerging and re-emerging public health threats.

And scientists at the Agency's national laboratory in Winnipeg were the first to identify the H2N2 influenza virus mistakenly sent to labs all over the world in routine proficiency panels, and to recognize the pandemic potential. The Agency immediately notified WHO and US partners, beginning the process to locate and destroy all outstanding samples.

“I think Canadians have reason to be proud of the high regard with which Canadian health scientists and officials are held all over the world," said Dosanjh.

“International health cooperation and collaboration is not only important to improving public health outside our borders, but will also help to avert or minimize the spread of infectious diseases here at home as well," added Dr. Butler-Jones.

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Media inquiries

Adele Blanchard
Office of the Minister of Health
(613) 957-0200

Julian Beltrame
Public Health Agency of Canada
(613) 954-8528

Kelly Keith
National Microbiology Laboratory
(204) 789-5028