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Health Canada
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<p>Health Canada is the <a href="/facts/Structure_of_the_Canadian_federal_government/bbl02yjm">department</a> of the <a href="/facts/Government_of_Canada/EpXkkVFc">Government of Canada</a> responsible for national <a href="/facts/Health_policy/An7lRwBd">health policy</a>. The department itself is also responsible for numerous federal health-related agencies, including the <a href="/facts/Canadian_Food_Inspection_Agency/XThH4zU7">Canadian Food Inspection Agency</a> (CFIA) and the <a href="/facts/Public_Health_Agency_of_Canada/77oerrQC">Public Health Agency of Canada</a> (PHAC), among others. These organizations help to ensure compliance with federal law in a variety of <a href="/facts/Healthcare_in_Canada/K8aMhm6M">healthcare</a>, <a href="/facts/Agriculture_in_Canada/DD04gUw7">agricultural</a>, and <a href="/facts/Pharmaceutics/ms5hhrMv">pharmaceutical</a> activities. This responsibility also involves extensive collaboration with various other federal- and provincial-level organizations in order to ensure the safety of food, health, and <a href="/facts/Medication/h9mhwWP2">pharmaceutical</a> products—including the regulation of health research and <a href="/facts/Pharmaceutical_manufacturing/bwxFFoVC">pharmaceutical manufacturing</a>/<a href="/facts/Clinical_trial/q8LMr832">testing</a> facilities. </p><p>The department is <a href="/facts/Responsible_government/gSgDvLlf">responsible</a> to <a href="/facts/Parliament_of_Canada/4YQfaTxt">Parliament</a> through the <a href="/facts/Minister_of_Health_(Canada)/r1sY1hBW">minister of health</a> as part of the federal health portfolio. The <a href="/facts/Deputy_minister_(Canada)/eJ1KmD0q">deputy minister</a> of health, the senior most <a href="/facts/Public_Service_of_Canada/eac6C9a3">civil servant</a> within the department, is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and operations of the department and reports directly to the minister. </p><p>Originally created as the "Department of Health" in 1919—in the wake of the <a href="/facts/Spanish_flu/dSI1TWUD">Spanish flu</a> crisis—what is known as <i>Health Canada</i> today was formed in 1993 from the former <a href="/facts/Health_and_Welfare_Canada/RSkEezvr">Health and Welfare Canada</a> department (established in 1944), which split into two separate units; the other department being <a href="/facts/Human_Resources_Development_Canada/j3VUqae7">Human Resources and Labour Canada</a>. </p>