Minister of Health to engage with partners on global health

Government of Canada reaffirms its commitment to international cooperation on health

OTTAWA, Sept. 21, 2017 /CNW/ - Building and maintaining strong relationships with international partners is vital to advancing and promoting Canada's interests and priorities in global health.

The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor will make her first international trip as Health Minister, beginning with her participation in high-level meetings surrounding the 72^nd session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Following this, the Minister will travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with her counterparts from the United States and other countries from the Americas, as well as regional and international partners. Dr. Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, will accompany Minister Petitpas Taylor to Washington.

While at the United Nations, Minister Petitpas Taylor will meet with Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization. The Minister will also participate in several side-events including a panel on the impact of the sustainable development goals on development cooperation, hosted by the State of Qatar, and two events co-hosted by Canada, one focusing on protecting health care workers and facilities in armed conflict zones, and the other on the issue of non-communicable diseases. The Minister will also attend the Annual Ministerial Meeting of Least Developed Countries for an update on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Following New York, Minister Petitpas Taylor will travel to Washington, D.C. to hold a series of bilateral meetings to strengthen relationships with her colleagues in the United States and other countries of the Americas, including Dr. Tom Price, US Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Dr. Carissa Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

As Canada and the US are both facing a crisis of opioid overdoses, the Minister will also meet with various members of Congress to discuss this serious epidemic. These meetings, as well as others with U.S. officials, will provide an opportunity to advance collaboration with the U.S. on monitoring related to the presence of illegal opioids, opioid use, and drug-related health consequences and to discuss the work of the American President's Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis as well as ongoing work through the North American Dialogue on Drug Policy.

Quotes

"Global health challenges are complex, and no single nation has the resources to solve them alone. Building strong and collaborative relationships with trusted international partners is essential to making progress on health issues worldwide. We share a number of common priorities, interests and perspectives in addressing global health with our partners in the United Nations and our neighbours in the Americas. I am proud to reaffirm Canada's commitment and support to working in partnership with others to tackle shared priorities."
The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor
Minister of Health

"Protecting health at home means promoting good health worldwide. Our working relationships and partnerships with the United Nations and with the countries of the Americas are essential in safeguarding the public health and security of all Canadians."
Dr. Theresa Tam
Chief Public Health Officer

Quick Facts

• PAHO is a key partner in advancing Canada's global public health priorities.
• During her stay in Washington, Minister Petitpas Taylor will also attend the PAHO Sanitary Conference. The Sanitary Conference is the principal governing body in the organization and meets every five years to determine its general policies. The conference is attended by ministers and high-level representatives from 35 member states and other international stakeholders. The Conference also serves as a forum for the exchange of information and the advancement of initiatives to prevent and treat diseases as well as to promote mental and physical health in the Western Hemisphere.

SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada