Health Canada releases the Walport Report

In October 2024, Health Canada released the Review of the Federal Approach to Pandemic Science Advice and Research Coordination, colloquially referred to as the Walport Report. The report is the culmination of a year of work by an expert panel who examined the federal government’s approach to coordinating research and providing science advice as components of the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report and the approach were bold moves by a now retired Deputy Minister Stephen Lucas; panels of this nature are traditionally initiated by elected officials in response to stakeholder demands. Dr. Lucas proactively initiated a review to better prepare the federal health portfolio for the next pandemic.

The report presents 12 recommendations that speak to gaps or weaknesses in the design or implementation of the current frameworks for responding to health emergencies. They primarily target functions inside the federal health portfolio, and if implemented, they will enable federal, provincial, territorial, Indigenous, and academic partners to work better together in preparation for and during the next pandemic.

Reading between the lines of the key findings, we understand that the culture of emergency response is weak in Canada, and must be cultivated. That Canadian science advice and research coordination systems are not well-coordinated to deal with domestic emergencies. And, that we have not yet internalized how to support all members of our society.

We might also consider that there is an important, implicit message for the broader science community and the broader emergency response community: to work together better, in order to serve Canadians in preparation for and during the next pandemic. Science is not a static body of knowledge; it is an ever-evolving process of trial and error to understand the world around us. As our world changes – due to global warming, war, and technology – we will require new research, new data, to deal with the challenges that arise. Effective emergency response plans – whether to fight fires or novel viruses – cannot rely on outdated knowledge. It is incumbent on the scientific community and on emergency responders to learn about each other, and how to work together to build trust and understanding in the name of supporting all people in Canada.

Rhonda Moore is Executive Director, Science & Innovation at the Institute on Governance.