99.6 AN INDEPENDENT HEALTH PROTECTION BRANCH/VITAL TO PUBLIC HEALTH
Whereas, Health Canada is currently re-evaluating the role of its Health Protection Branch; and
Whereas, Staffing cuts resulting from fiscal restraints have had a significant negative impact on the ability of the Health Protection Branch to effectively carry out its responsibility to protect the health of Canadians; and
Whereas, There is increasing evidence that the Health Protection Branch has failed to address adequately human safety requirements when determining whether food and drugs should be certified for public use under the Food and Drug Act; and
Whereas, There is concern that the private sector is taking an increasingly significant role in health product testing, and this practice could lead to biased test reporting; and
Whereas, The practice of requiring private companies to pay for the testing of their products may lead to undue pressure on the Health Protection Branch to approve food and drugs before adequate testing has been done; therefore,
Be it resolved, that the National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC) urge the Government of Canada to:
- Rebuild and further develop a strong, effective, and adequately funded Health Protection Branch that puts the public’s interest first; and
- Ensure that an independent Health Protection Branch tests all health and food products; and
- Restore and strengthen the independence of the Health Protection Branch by separating the function of fee collection from pharmaceutical companies and the product assessment by the Health Protection Branch in order to ensure that the possibility of undue pressure for drug approval is removed.