Promoting Awareness
One of Health Canada's roles is to promote awareness about science and research. Through a variety of different programs and activities, we are able to involve Canadians in the work we do by highlighting:
Health Canada Science Forums
In order to raise awareness of Health Canada science, the Office of the Chief Scientist has developed a number of activities that profile departmental researchers and their achievements. One of the most important of these activities is the Health Canada Science Forum, previously titled the Health Canada Research Forum.
 The Office of the Chief Scientist organized the first Forum in November 2002. Since then, the event has brought together scientists and researchers from across Health Canada to showcase their work and connect with colleagues.
The annual Health Canada Science Forum gives our researchers and scientists the chance to present and discuss their work and showcase major achievements. One of the event's goals is to encourage a better understanding of Health Canada's scientific programs and activities.
See the proceedings of the 2005 Health Canada Science Forum, or visit our Reports and Publications section for access to information on all past Science Forums.
Amyot Overview
For centuries rulers and governments have turned to individuals wise about the natural world and the dynamics of human interactions for advice on strategic and tactical decisions in governance. Over the past few hundred years advice was often sought from outside government -- typically through learned societies established for that purpose. Subsequent to the Second World War the Canadian government, among others, developed internal regimes for the production of new knowledge in the natural and social sciences, and its analysis, to inform policy and government decision making.
The increasing complexity and pace of advancement of new knowledge, together with the increasing impact of scientific and technological change on our lives, have intensified the demand for sound science advice in governance. But science is not the sole domain of governments. Sound science advice rests on a foundation of excellent science that has been widely sought and subjected to rigorous evaluation of its quality. Extracting value from that advice, including an understanding of the uncertainty which may be associated with it, requires a constructive dialogue between science advisors and policy advisors.
Amyot Lectures
Health Canada hosts a series of lectures given by distinguished Canadians in the health field to recognize excellence and to foster innovation and debate on leading health policy issues.
 The lecture series honours Dr. J.A. Amyot, who became Deputy Minister when the Federal Department of Health was created in 1919. Dr. Amyot's career was noted for significant public health accomplishments and for his career in the public service. Born in Toronto in 1867, he is widely credited as being one the first proponents in North America of preventive medicine. He established the first post graduate course in public health at the University of Toronto and developed the first diphtheria antitoxin in Canada. Dr. Amyot was closely associated with the development of the typhoid and smallpox vaccines and with the introduction of two public health measures that are now taken for granted: the filtration and chlorination of water and the pasteurization of milk. For his military service in the first world war, Dr. Amyot was decorated by both the British (Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George) and the French (Knight of the Legion of Honour) governments.
|
