Ottawa, September 28, 2010 - The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology begins hearings on Canada’s pandemic preparedness Wednesday September 29^th at 4:15p.m., with testimony from Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer.

Dr. Butler-Jones, Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) played a key role during the country’s H1N1 crisis last year.

The study on pandemic preparedness by the Social Affairs, Science and Technology Committee is at the request of the Minister of Health, Leona Aglukkaq. The hearing will include an overview of the H1N1 situation in Canada and the PHAC’s response and assessment of the socio-economic and health impacts of the pandemic. Objectives include determining important lessons learned and establishing best practices developed by management, operations, logistics and communications.

Other witnesses scheduled to appear on September 29th are:

Dr. Danuta Skowronski, Epidemiology Lead for Influenza and Emerging Respiratory Pathogens
British Columbia Centre for Disease Control

Dr. Donald E. Low, Microbiologist-in-Chief
Mount Sinai Hospital

Dr. Susan Tamblyn, Public Health Consultant
As an individual

Information on the committee, including scheduled meetings, is available online at: http://senate-senat.ca/social-e.asp.

Members of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology include senators: 

David Braley (Ontario), Catherine S. Callbeck (Prince Edward Island), Andrée Champagne, P.C. (Grandville - Quebec), Jane Cordy (Nova Scotia), Jacques Demers (Rigaud - Quebec), Lillian Eva Dyck (Saskatchewan), Nicole Eaton (Ontario), Art Eggleton, P.C. (Ontario), chair, Yonah Martin,  (British Columbia), Pana Merchant (Saskatchewan), Kelvin Kenneth Ogilvie (Annapolis Valley – Hants – Nova Scotia), deputy chair, and Judith Seidman (De la Durantaye – Quebec).

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For more information, please contact:

Molly Shinhat                                                                                     Jessica Richardson
Media Relations                                                                                 Committee Clerk
613-995-1952                                                                                      613-990-6087
Toll-free: 1-800-268-7362                                                            Toll-free: 1-800-268-7362
shinhm@sen.parl.gc.ca                                                                     richaj@sen.parl.gc.ca

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