Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) and the British Columbia (B.C.) Government, in full collaboration with the other provincial and territorial governments and the Public Health Agency of Canada, announced today that the Province will develop a pan-Canadian Public Health Surveillance System to help carry out faster, more coordinated responses to potential epidemics.

The new electronic system will make it possible for public health workers across Canada to collect, share and analyze critical health information to help manage infectious disease outbreaks.  It will replace an older surveillance system currently being used in parts of Canada, and also serve as an infrastructure for more comprehensive public health systems in the provinces and territories.

"A national surveillance system will enhance health professionals' ability to respond in an emergency and to work more collaboratively with partners across Canada" says B.C. Health Minister George Abbott.

"This system will help healthcare providers, patients and governments prevent the spread of disease through faster and better identification of potential epidemic or disease outbreaks wherever they occur in Canada," said Richard Alvarez, Infoway's President and CEO.

"SARS taught us that it was time to invest in a new generation of surveillance systems to track infectious diseases," added Canadian Federal Health Minister Tony Clement.  "The better our information is, the better prepared we are. To fully protect the health of Canadians, we must develop the necessary tools to allow us to coordinate our responses to emerging disease threats.