Health Canada

Introduction: Health Canada is the Federal department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health, while respecting individual choices and circumstances.

What is Health Canada's Goal?

According to our mission and vision, Health Canada's goal is for Canada to be among the countries with the healthiest people in the world.

To achieve this goal, Health Canada:

Relies on high-quality scientific research as the basis for our work.
Conducts ongoing consultations with Canadians to determine how to best meet their long-term health care needs.
Communicates information about disease prevention to protect Canadians from avoidable risks.
Encourages Canadians to take an active role in their health, such as increasing their level of physical activity and eating well.
Health Canada into the Future

Health Canada believes that prevention and health promotion can hold health care costs down and improve quality of life in the long term. To this end, the Department is committed to meeting the challenges of tomorrow by supporting research and fostering partnerships with researchers across the country and the world. We also work collaboratively with the provinces and territories to test ways in which the Canadian health care system can be improved and ensure its sustainability for the future.

What Information is Available?

This section contains an overview of Health Canada and provides you points of entry to many Health Canada-specific related topics. From here you can learn more about how the Department is structured, where our offices are situated and who our ministers are. You can also find out about our strategies and initiatives, as well as the budget estimates for our programs.

This section also provides information about health-related legislation and activities, including commissions and inquiries. From here, you can access a complete repository of all reports and publications available on this Web site and find a list of health-related conferences and events, including our consultations with Canadians.