News Release

1996-64
August 29, 1996

Canada and France sign administrative arrangement for co-operation on health

OTTAWA - Health Minister David Dingwall and France's Secretary of State Responsible for Health and Social Security, Hervé Gaymard, today signed the first administrative arrangement for co-operation between the two departments.

Under the terms of the arrangement, the two countries will share professional expertise and scientific information on health issues, including:

• disease surveillance
• pharmaceutical regulations
• health promotion, including tobacco and drug abuse issues
• new reproductive technologies
• health care delivery.

Canada and France will also encourage and facilitate exchanges between government agencies, health institutions, specialists and health professionals, and will collaborate in the area of training and development.

"This initiative is good for Canada and good for France," Mr. Dingwall said. "It recognizes that each country has made major advances in different health fields, and that by working together each of us can learn and benefit from the strengths and experiences of the other."

The two countries will give special emphasis to collaboration and exchanges between the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control (Canada) and the Réseau national de santé publique (France) in the areas of epidemiology, surveillance, prevention and control of communicable diseases.

Within the next few weeks, discussions at the technical level will begin on joint activities, including the training of field epidemiologists and disease surveillance methodologies.

Attachment: Administrative Arrangement.

Media Inquiries:
Monette Haché
Health Canada
(613) 957-1803

Public Inquiries:
(613) 957-2991

The Minister responsible for Public Health and Health Insurance of the French Republic and the Minister of Health of Canada, hereinafter referred to as "the Parties",

RECALLING the cultural agreement signed on November 17, 1965, followed on October 23, 1973, by an exchange of letters on scientific cooperation;

RECOGNIZING the importance of public health, disease control and prevention, and training in furthering health development;

DESIROUS to expand their collaboration and exchanges in the fields of public health and health care delivery systems in a spirit of equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit;

AGREE AS FOLLOWS: Article 1

The Parties will encourage and facilitate mutually acceptable contacts, exchanges and co-operation between government agencies, health institutions, specialists and health professionals in the field of public health and health care delivery systems by:

• collaboration in the area of training and development;
• exchange of clinicians and other health professionals, as well as exchange of health information;
• co-operation between government personnel, professional associations and health institutions.

Article 2
The Parties will give priority for such mutually acceptable exchanges and co-operation to be developed in the following proposed subject areas:

• general information, publications and statistical data in the fields of health policy, health regulations, public health, health care delivery systems;
• public health;
• registration and quality control of drugs, including traditional medicines;
• health promotion and environmental health;
• quality assurance in health care and standards of practice applicable to health disciplines;
• new reproductive technologies;
• substance abuse (drugs, alcohol, tobacco);
• health economics.

Article 3

The Parties will give special emphasis to collaboration and exchanges between the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control (Canada) and the Réseau national de santé publique (France) on matters relative to the epidemiology, surveillance, prevention and control of communicable disease, including the joint development of intervention protocols and other approaches to aid in decision-making;

Article 4

The Parties will facilitate and enhance the general objectives of this arrangement; modifications to the proposed list of priority areas may be made from time to time subject to prior agreement between the Parties.

Article 5

The detailed arrangements in connection with the proposed exchanges and the timing and number of such exchanges are to be developed and agreed upon through consultations between the officers of the respective Ministries according to the established procedures in each country. All cooperation activities under this Memorandum will be subject to the availability of funds. The home State will defray all costs of the assignment, including salary, various allowances and benefits relating to travel abroad of the participant or his family situation, and mandatory contributions pertaining to the social security plan of which he is a member. It will also assume responsibility for the participant in case of an accident en route, as well as, generally speaking, any accident occuring in the framework of his duties or during the exercise of these duties. However, the host State will defray the costs arising from missions that it may entrust to the participant during his assignment.

Article 6

This administrative arrangement will be valid from the date of its signature for a period of three (3) years, renewable by tacit agreement. It can be terminated by either Government giving 90 days notice in writing to the other party. The termination of this arrangement shall not affect the implementation of arrangements made under it. Signed at , this day of , 1996, in duplicate in English and French, all texts being equally authentic. the Minister responsible for Health of France the Minister of Health of Canada.