Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (NAO), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Health Econ Policy Law. 2022 Jan;17(1):76-94. doi: 10.1017/S1744133121000220. Epub 2021 Jun 22.
Canada's experience with the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been characterized by considerable regional variation, as would be expected in a highly decentralized federation. Yet, the country has been beset by challenges, similar to many of those documented in the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak of 2003. Despite a high degree of pandemic preparedness, the relative success with flattening the curve during the first wave of the pandemic was not matched in much of Canada during the second wave. This paper critically reviews Canada's response to the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on the role of the federal government in this public health emergency, considering areas within its jurisdiction (international borders), areas where an increased federal role may be warranted (long-term care), as well as its technical role in terms of generating evidence and supporting public health surveillance, and its convening role to support collaboration across the country. This accounting of the first 12 months of the pandemic highlights opportunities for a strengthened federal role in the short term, and some important lessons to be applied in preparing for future pandemics.
加拿大在应对 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行的过程中表现出相当大的地区差异，这在一个高度分散的联邦国家中是可以预料到的。然而，该国也面临着与 2003 年严重急性呼吸系统综合征爆发中记录的许多类似的挑战。尽管加拿大在大流行准备方面程度很高，但在大流行的第一波期间成功地平缓了曲线，而在第二波期间，加拿大的大部分地区却未能做到这一点。本文批判性地回顾了加拿大对 COVID-19 大流行的应对措施，重点关注联邦政府在这场公共卫生紧急事件中的作用，考虑了其管辖范围内的领域（国际边界）、可能需要增加联邦作用的领域（长期护理），以及在生成证据和支持公共卫生监测方面的技术作用，以及在全国范围内支持合作的召集作用。对大流行的头 12 个月的这种说明突出了短期内加强联邦作用的机会，并为未来的大流行做好准备提供了一些重要的经验教训。
