Information is the lifeblood of public health practice. With it, public health authorities at the local, regional, provincial and federal levels can track the incidence, patterns, and trends of injury and disease in populations.

Carefully planned surveillance or epidemiological activities facilitate the rapid identification of health needs, including the spread of communicable or sexually transmitted infection or disease, clusters or outbreaks of bacterial or viral infection, and risk behaviours.

In the aftermath of the 2002 – 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in Canada, a number of high profile external reports pointed to gaps in information systems and information sharing practices. Since then, the Public Health Agency of Canada has been collaborating with its local, provincial and territorial counterparts to develop principles and tools for sharing information.

Information Sharing

• The Reporting and Management of Personal Information and Personal Health Information to Control and Combat Infectious Disease: An Analysis of the Canadian Statutory and Regulatory Framework.
  ( 1 438 KB
• Use of Cancer Patient Information for Surveillance Purposes

Backgrounder

Privacy

• Public Good and Individual Rights: A Public Health Perspective
  February 2005
  ( PPT 899 KB)

Links

Federal Legislation

• Access to Information Act
• Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
• Privacy Act
• Statistics Act

Privacy Commissioners

• Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
• Alberta. Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta
• British Columbia. Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia
• Manitoba. Ombudsman Manitoba
• New Brunswick. Office of the Ombudsman
• Newfoundland and Labrador. Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Northwest Territories. Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Review Office
• Nunavut. Privacy Commissioner of Nunavut
• Ontario. Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
• Prince Edward Island. Information and Privacy Commissioner of Prince Edward Island
• Québec. Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec
• Saskatchewan. Office of the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner
• Yukon. Office of the Yukon Ombudsman and Information & Privacy Commissioner

For more information, contact publichealthpractice@phac-aspc.gc.ca
or call toll free: 1-877-430-9995.