The minister of health (french: ministre de la Santé) is the

minister of the Crown Minister of the Crown is a formal constitutional term used in Commonwealth realms to describe a minister of the reigning sovereign or viceroy. The term indicates that the minister serves at His Majesty's pleasure, and advises the sovereign or ...

in the

Canadian Cabinet The Cabinet of Canada (french: Cabinet du Canada) is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada. Chaired by the prime minister, the ...

who is responsible for overseeing health-focused government agencies including

Health Canada Health Canada (HC; french: Santé Canada, SC)Health Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Health (). is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for national health poli ...

and the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as enforcing the '' Canada Health Act'', the law governing Canada's universal health care system. The current minister is Jean-Yves Duclos. The minister of health is responsible for maintaining and improving the health of Canadians. The minister is responsible for the Health Portfolio, which comprises: * Canadian Food Inspection Agency * Canadian Institutes of Health Research *

Patented Medicine Prices Review Board The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board () is a federal quasi-judicial regulatory and reporting agency in Canada with a mandate to protect consumers by ensuring that the prices of patented medication charged by manufacturers of patented drugs ...

* Public Health Agency of Canada The Health Portfolio consists of approximately 12,500 full-time equivalent employees and an annual budget of over $3.8 billion.

History

The first Department of Health was established in 1919, and unlike most other departments, had no designated minister. The

president of the Privy Council In the Canadian cabinet, the president of the King's Privy Council for Canada (french: président du Conseil privé du Roi pour le Canada) is nominally in charge of the Privy Council Office. The president of the Privy Council also has the larg ...

was the first designated to manage the department, which was followed by the

minister of immigration and colonization The minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship (french: Ministre de l'immigration, des réfugiés et de la citoyenneté) is a minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet. The minister is responsible for Immigration, Refugees and Citi ...

in 1921 under

Arthur Meighen Arthur Meighen (; June 16, 1874 – August 5, 1960) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Canada from 1920 to 1921 and from June to September 1926. He led the Conservative Party from 1920 to 1926 and fr ...

, then the minister of soldiers' civil re-establishment later that year under

William Lyon Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A L ...

. The minister of soldiers' civil re-establishment managed the Department of Health through the next Meighen and King governments. In 1928, the Department of Health and minister of soldiers' civil re-establishment were abolished and replaced with the Department and minister of pensions and national health. In 1944, the position was again split into two roles, with the war veteran portfolio going to the minister of veterans affairs, and the rest of the portfolio moving to the minister of national health and welfare. The role of minister of national health and welfare was abolished in 1996, and replaced with the current minister of health. Jane Philpott was the first medical doctor to hold the post.

List of ministers

Key:

Health Portfolio

The Health Portfolio is an institution of several governmental departments, an annual budget of over , that supports the Minister of Health's responsibility of maintaining and improving the health of Canadians.Health Portfolio
" ''Health Canada''. Government of Canada (2017). Along with

, the portfolio consists of: the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research,

. and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Department hierarchies

The hierarchy of the Ministry is listed below. *Minister of Health **Deputy Minister ***Chief Medical Advisor ***Director General, Office of Audit and Evaluation ****Departmental Audit Committee ****Internal Audit and Special Examinations ****Program Evaluation Division ****Performance Measurement Planning and Integration ****Practice Management ** ***Health Products and Food Branch ****Director General, Biologics & Genetic Therapies Directorate ****Director General, Food Directorate *****Bureau of Chemical Safety *****Bureau of Nutritional Sciences *****Bureau of Microbial Hazards *****Bureau of Policy Intergovernmental & International Affairs *****Bureau of Food Surveillance & Science Integration *****Bureau of Business Systems & Operations ****Director General, Marketed Health Products Directorate *****Bureau of Strategic Engagement and Integrated Management Services *****Health Products Surveillance and Epidemiology Bureau *****Marketed Biologicals, Biotechnology and Natural Health Products Bureau *****Marketed Pharmaceuticals Bureau *****Office of Policy, Risk Advisory, & Advertising ****Director General, Medical Devices Directorate *****Bureau of Licensing Services *****Bureau of Investigation Testing Authorization, Special Access Program & Post-Market Surveillance *****Bureau of Evaluation *****Bureau of Planning & Operations *****Bureau of Policy & International Programs ****Director General, Natural & Non-prescription Health Products Directorate *****Bureau of Licensing Services & Systems *****Bureau of Product Review & Assessment *****Bureau of Strategic Planning & Business Services *****Bureau of Program Policy, Risk Management & Stakeholder Engagement *****Bureau of Consumer Health Product Modernization ****Director General, Office of Nutrition Policy & Promotion ****Director General, Policy, Planning & International Affairs Directorate *****Strategic Horizontal Policy Division *****Office of Legislative and Regulatory Modernization ****Director General, Resource Management & Operations Directorate *****Strategic Planning and Accountability Division *****Operational Management and Scientific Learning Division *****Transformation and Business Informatics Division *****Governance and Internal Communications Division *****Office of Submissions and Intellectual Property ****Director General, Therapeutic Products Directorate *****Bureau of Cardiology, Allergy & Neurological Sciences *****Bureau of Gastroenterology, Infection and Viral Diseases *****Bureau of Metabolism, Oncology and Reproductive Sciences *****Bureau of Pharmaceutical Sciences *****Bureau of Policy, Science and International Programs *****Bureau of Medical Sciences *****Office of Planning, Performance and Review Services *****Office of Clinical Trials ****Director General, Veterinary Drugs Directorate *****Human Safety Division *****Manufacturing and Chemical Evaluation Division *****Clinical Evaluation Division *****Submission and Knowledge Management Division *****Policy, Planning and International Affairs Division ** ***Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch ****Director General, Consumer Product Safety Directorate *****Director, Risk Assessment Bureau *****Director, Risk Management Bureau *****Director, Program Development Bureau ****Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate *****Office of Management Services *****Science Secretariat *****Director, Environmental Health Science & Research Bureau, Chemicals Surveillance Bureau *****Director, Radiation Protection Bureau *****Director, Consumer & Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau ****Director General, Policy Planning and Integration Directorate ****Director General, Safe Environments Directorate ** ***Opioid Response Team ****Controlled Substances Directorate ****Opioid Response Team Directorate **Assistant Deputy Minister ***Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch ****Cannabis Directorate ****Laboratories Directorate ****Planning and Operations Directorate ****Health Product Compliance Directorate ****Policy and Regulatory Strategies Directorate ****Medical Devices and Clinical Compliance Directorate ****Consumer Product Safety, Tobacco and Pesticides Directorate ****Controlled Substances and Environmental Health Directorate ** ***Communications & Public Affairs Branch ****Ethics & Internal Ombudsman Services ****Marketing and Communications Services Directorate ****Planning & Operations Division ****Public Affairs & Strategic Communications Directorate ****Stakeholder Relations & Consultation Directorate ***Pest Management Regulatory Agency ***Strategic Policy Branch ***Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch ***Corporate Services Branch ***Departmental Secretariat **Executive Director & Senior General Counsel, Legal Services **Chief Financial Officer Branch ***Departmental Performance Measurement & Evaluation Directorate ***Departmental Resource Management Directorate ***Financial Operations Directorate ****Exec. Director, Financial Management ****Accounting Operations & Systems ****Financial Services Division, First Nations & Inuit Health Branch ****Public Accounts & Policy ***Internal Control Division ***Materiel & Assets Management Directorate ***Planning & Corporate Management Practices Directorate *President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency **Vice-President, Operations **Assoc. Vice-President, Operations **Vice-President, Science ***Chief Veterinary Officer ***Chief Science Operating Officer **Vice-President, Policy & Programs ***Chief Food Safety Officer (Exec. Director, Food Safety & Consumer Protection Division) ***Chief Plant Health Officer (Exec. Director, Plant Health & Biosecurity Directorate) ** ***VP, Innovation, Business & Service Development ****Chief Information Officer ***VP, Communications & Public Affairs ***VP, Human Resources ***VP, Corporate Management ****Chief Financial Officer *** *** ****Assistant Deputy Minister, International Affairs Branch ****Chief, Audit & Evaluation ****Chief Redress Officer, Integrity and Redress Secretariat ****Exec. Director, Legal Services *Executive Vice President *Chief of Staff *President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research **Executive Vice-President ** ***Assoc. VP, Research, Knowledge Translation & Ethics ***Assoc. VP, Governance & External Relations ***Assoc. VP, Corporate Services **VP, Research Programs ***Assoc. VP, Research Programs – Strategy ** **Science Council (chaired by the President) **Governing Council (President is an ''

ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...

'' member of all Standing Committees) ***Chair ***Vice Chair *** ****Executive Committee ****Governance and Nominating Committee ****Standing Committee on Ethics ****Standing Committee on Finance ****CIHR Audit Committee ****Stem Cell Oversight Committee CIHR Institutes **Scientific Director, Institute of Aging **Scientific Director, Institute of Cancer Research **Scientific Director, Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health **Scientific Director, Institute of Gender and Health **Scientific Director, Institute of Genetics **Scientific Director, Institute of Health Services and Policy Research **Scientific Director, Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health **Scientific Director, Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health **Scientific Director, Institute of Infection and Immunity **Scientific Director, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis **Scientific Director, Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction **Scientific Director, Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes **Scientific Director, Institute of Population and Public Health

References

External links

Public Health Agency of Canada

Health Canada
{{Cabinet of Canada

Health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organ ...