Bill C-293, the Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness Act, requires the Minister of Health to establish an advisory committee to review the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada in order to reduce the risks associated with future pandemics and inform a pandemic prevention and preparedness plan.

It also requires the establishment, in consultation with other ministers, of a pandemic prevention and preparedness plan, which is to include information provided by those ministers. The plan will be required to adopt a One Health approach, which is a multisectoral and multidisciplinary collaborative approach that focuses on the human, animal, plant, and ecosystem health and welfare interface in addressing pandemic risk factors.

Finally, it amends the Department of Health Act to provide that the Minister of Health must appoint a national pandemic prevention and preparedness coordinator from among the officials of the Public Health Agency of Canada to coordinate the activities under the Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness Act.

UPDATE: On Feb 8, 2023, the bill was adopted at second reading and referred to the HESA committee for further study.

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