OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jan 30, 2014) - Health Canada

Today, Health Minister, Rona Ambrose, addressed the Economic Club of Canada to highlight
the Government of Canada's work to harness the tremendous potential of innovation to improve the quality and fiscal sustainability of Canada`s health system.

Minister Ambrose underscored the importance of innovation and health partnerships to help improve the future financial sustainability and quality of healthcare for Canadians and announced the creation of a wise person's panel to examine innovation in healthcare.

Healthcare innovation can play a critical role in helping achieve greater efficiency in the publicly funded healthcare system and better outcomes for patients.

Quick Facts

  • The Government of Canada has increased health transfers to the provinces and territories to unprecedented levels. This funding will continue to grow, reaching $40 billion by the end of the decade.

  • The need for innovation, both in terms of medical technologies and healthcare delivery systems, is a significant public policy challenge that the Government of Canada is committed to addressing.

  • According to a 2012 Council of Canadian Academies report Canada is a world leader when it comes to producing scientific knowledge related to health. Although Canada has less than 0.5 percent of the world's population, we produce over four percent of the world's research papers and nearly five percent of the world's most frequently cited papers.

  • The Government remains the largest, single-investor in Canadian health innovation, primarily through grants made by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Each year, through CIHR, approximately $1 billion is invested to support Canada's health researchers and trainees.

Quotes

"It is time to tap into some of the brilliant Canadian minds and meet the challenge of transforming the health system through innovation. I will be creating a wise person's panel to examine the state of innovation in Canada's healthcare system, and ensure our federal policies align with our goal of creating a more innovative, effective, and financially sustainable health system."

Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health

Associated Links

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research

Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement

Canadian Partnership Against Cancer

Canada Health Infoway Inc.

Health Canada news releases are available on the Internet at: www.healthcanada.gc.ca/media