Bill C-293: establishing a new authority in Canada for the next global pandemic
To comprehend the reach of Bill C-293 is to understand the One Health approach; it involves much more than what Canadians might expect are health matters. The Canadian legislation describes One Health as a “multisectoral and multidisciplinary collaborative approach that focuses on the human, animal, plant and ecosystem health and welfare interface.” The UN provides a more involved definition: “One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognizes that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent.”