Ries Nola M, Caulfield Timothy
Health Law Institute, Law Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton.
Can J Public Health. 2005 Jul-Aug;96(4):281-3. doi: 10.1007/BF03405164.
This commentary addresses some of the key legal challenges associated with establishing a national public health agency in Canada. These include issues related to privacy and confidentiality of personal health information in the public health context, constraints on the jurisdiction and powers of a national agency, the need to respect individual rights and freedoms in an outbreak situation, and international cooperation in infectious disease control. The authors are part of a research initiative, comprised of experts in law, public health policy and medicine, that is currently analyzing legal considerations that may influence the mandate of a national public health agency in regard to infectious disease activities. This article discusses critical issues raised at a meeting in August 2004 that brought the research team together with key federal and provincial policy-makers and members of the public health community. The commentary emphasizes that law sets the foundation for public health activities, and the promise of a national public health agency will only be realized if significant legal issues are examined early on to ensure the agency is built on a robust legal and policy framework.
本评论探讨了在加拿大设立国家公共卫生机构所面临的一些关键法律挑战。这些挑战包括公共卫生背景下个人健康信息的隐私和保密问题、国家机构管辖权和权力的限制、在疫情爆发情况下尊重个人权利和自由的必要性，以及传染病控制方面的国际合作。作者是一项研究计划的成员，该计划由法律、公共卫生政策和医学领域的专家组成，目前正在分析可能影响国家公共卫生机构在传染病活动方面职责的法律考量因素。本文讨论了2004年8月一次会议上提出的关键问题，该会议使研究团队与联邦和省级主要政策制定者以及公共卫生界成员汇聚一堂。评论强调，法律为公共卫生活动奠定基础，只有尽早审视重大法律问题以确保该机构建立在健全的法律和政策框架之上，国家公共卫生机构的愿景才能实现。
