News Release

1997-23
April 7, 1997

Health Canada honoured on World Health Day

OTTAWA - The American Association for World Health today presented Health Canada with a World Health Day Award for the work of the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control (LCDC) in strengthening the regional capacity for surveillance of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. The theme of World Health Day this year is Emerging Infectious Diseases - Global Alert: Global Response.

The Laboratory Centre for Disease Control has entered into a collaborative effort with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to implement PAHO's western-hemisphere- wide plan to respond to emerging infectious diseases. LCDC continues to contribute scientific expertise and resources to help develop response mechanisms throughout the western- hemisphere.

Health Minister David Dingwall stated, "Canadians can take pride in our country's leadership role in providing a global response to emerging infectious diseases by strengthening international and national disease surveillance mechanisms and promoting collaboration for disease prevention, containment and control. I am proud of the achievements of Health Canada which have been honoured by this World Health Day Award" he added.

The Laboratory Centre for Disease Control has surveillance networks monitoring diseases such as tuberculosis and other bacterial infections throughout the western hemisphere.

To mark World Health Day, the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control demonstrated examples of international disease surveillance activities.

In the past 20 years, 30 new communicable diseases have been identified and other diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis have reemerged in many parts of the world. As well, scientists have noted a rapidly increasing microbial resistance to antibiotics.

The appearance of new and reemerging infectious diseases is attributed to changing human demography, notably the appearance of mega-cities, rapid international travel, environmental destruction, global food trade and development projects that expose human populations to new animal and insect habitats.

Each year since April 7, 1948, the World Health Organization celebrates World Health Day to commemorate the ratification of its Constitution.