Marjorie Michel
Canada’s Minister of Health
Canada is strengthening brain health through coordinated federal action, research investments, national strategies and partnerships aimed at improving outcomes for people living with neurological conditions.
Brain health is an important part of the health and well being of Canadians. Our government recognizes the significant impact that brain and neurological diseases, disorders, injuries and other health conditions have on individuals, families and caregivers across the country.
Improving brain health requires collaboration across governments, researchers, health care professionals, patients and partners. Canada’s approach is focused on advancing research and supporting coordinated action to improve outcomes for people living with neurological conditions.
Federal health portfolio partners, including Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, work together on shared priorities related to brain health and neurological conditions.
The Government is working with patients, health care professionals, researchers, drug developers and other partners to improve access to treatments and supports. Health Canada supports priority brain health research through the Canada Brain Research Fund Program, in partnership with the Brain Canada Foundation. The program supports researchers across Canada in advancing clinical, technological and health system solutions for brain diseases and disorders, including neurodegeneration, stroke and traumatic brain injury.
These investments are helping bring together governments, researchers and partners to advance brain health research across Canada. Federal investments are matched dollar for dollar by charitable and private sector partners, resulting in nearly $500 million in combined research funding since 2011.
The Public Health Agency of Canada leads health promotion and chronic disease policy for the Health Portfolio, including the national dementia strategy and the Canadian Guidelines on Concussion in Sport. PHAC also leads national efforts related to neurological conditions and brain cancer surveillance through partnerships with federal departments, including Health Canada, Statistics Canada and CIHR, as well as provinces and territories, external organizations and academic institutions.
Examples of this work include:
- Data collection, analysis and reporting on dementia, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s are supported by the Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System and the Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System and a Neurological Conditions Working Group.
- Brain cancer surveillance is part of the cancer surveillance program, using data from the Canadian Cancer Registry and Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database.
- In 2014, PHAC released a ($15 million/four year) study, “Mapping Connections: An understanding of neurological conditions in Canada.”
- PHAC is the federal lead on Canada’s national dementia strategy, A Dementia Strategy for Canada: Together We Aspire, which was released in June 2019. The strategy sets out three national objectives:
- prevent dementia;
- advance therapies and find a cure; and
- improve the quality of life of people living with dementia and caregivers.
- PHAC is committed to working to bring Canada closer to the vision of our national dementia strategy: a Canada in which all people living with dementia and caregivers are valued and supported, quality of life is optimized, and dementia is prevented, well understood, and effectively treated.
- Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested more than $675 million in funding that supports progress aligned with the objectives of the national dementia strategy, including investments made prior to the strategy’s release.
Research is central to improving our understanding of brain health and developing better treatments. CIHR supports research, knowledge mobilization and capacity development across a range of health areas, including brain health. Through its 13 Institutes, CIHR funds brain health research through both investigator initiated and priority driven funding streams.
Scientific leadership on neurological conditions is supported across multiple CIHR institutes, notably through the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction, which provides expertise related to neuroscience and brain health research.
Over the past five years, investments have included:
- Neurosciences, including neurological conditions: $1.27 billion
- Dementia: $279 million
- Stroke: $134.4 million
- Traumatic brain injury, including concussion: $68.3 million