ARCHIVED - RPP 2006-2007
Assisted Human Reproduction Agency of Canada

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page

This page has been archived.

Section I - Overview

Minister's Message

Canadians expect that the benefits of assisted human reproductive technologies and research must be balanced by protecting the health, safety and dignity of those individuals who access these technologies.

In 2004, through the promulgation of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act, the Government of Canada demonstrated its commitment to this principle and the need to protect human individuality, diversity and the integrity of the human genome.

The legislation brought into force prohibitions against unacceptable practices such as human cloning, together with other measures protecting the health and safety of individuals using AHR to help them build their families. The Act also included provisions to ensure that research involving the in-vitro human embryo in Canada would take place within a controlled environment, and established the new Assisted Human Reproduction Agency of Canada (AHRAC) to implement these safeguards.

Located in Vancouver, B.C., the Agency will licence AHR controlled activities, enforce compliance with the regulations, monitor trends and developments, collect and safeguard personal health information and advise the Minister of Health on these matters.

On June 22, 2005 the Government launched an open and transparent process to recruit the board of directors of the new Agency, including its President and Chairperson. This process is expected to culminate in 2006 with the appointments by Governor-in-Council of the successful candidates to the Agency's board of directors.

The legislation and the establishment of the Agency puts Canada in a leadership position internationally as a regulator in this sector. Nevertheless, much work remains over the next year to complete the regulatory framework and to enable the Agency to begin its operations. Health Canada will continue to press forward with its efforts to introduce these regulations.

This first Report on Plans and Priorities for the Agency outlines the immediate priorities for the Agency, to be refined and confirmed by its board of directors, as they take over the governance of the Agency and begin building its organizational capacity over the coming year.

I am confident that the Agency will move quickly to become an important player in providing a welcome contribution to Canada's health system and the overall health of Canadians.

Tony Clement
Minister of Health

Management Representation Statement

I submit for tabling in Parliament, the 2006-07 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) for
the Assisted Human Reproduction Agency of Canada.

This document has been prepared based on the reporting principles contained in Guide for the Preparation of Part III of the 2006-2007 Estimates: Reports on Plans and Priorities and Departmental Performance Reports:

It adheres to the specific reporting requirements outlined in the TBS guidance;

• It is based on the department's approved Program Activity Architecture structure as reflected in its MRRS;
• It presents consistent, comprehensive, balanced and accurate information;
• It provides a basis of accountability for the results achieved with the resources and authorities entrusted to it; and
• It reports finances based on approved planned spending numbers from the Treasury Board Secretariat in the RPP.

Name: Morris Rosenberg

Title: Deputy Minister
Health Canada

Program Activity Architecture (PAA) Crosswalk

This is a new program for 2006-2007. The Agency was established by Governor-in-Council on January 12, 2006 and the program activities planned for 2006-2007 have no carryover from 2005-2006.

Summary Information

Reason for Existence - The Assisted Human Reproduction Agency of Canada (AHRAC) was established under the authority of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act. The legislation aims to protect and promote human health, safety, dignity and human rights in the use of assisted human reproduction (AHR) technologies, prohibits unacceptable activities, such as human cloning and places controls over AHR related research. The Agency will be responsible for the issuance and review of licences, the collection and analysis of health reporting information, and to carry out inspections and enforcement related to activities controlled under the Act.

Financial Resources ($ thousands)

2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
$9,681	$12,009	$12,429

Human Resources

2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
44 FTEs	44 FTEs	44 FTEs

Departmental Priorities

	Type	Planned Spending ($ thousands)
			2006-2007[1]	2007-2008[2]	2008-2009[3]
Strategic Outcome: Protection and promotion of the health and safety of Canadians against the risks associated with assisted human reproduction.
Priority #1	New	Program Activity #1 - Licencing and Enforcement of a Regulatory Framework for AHR Technologies	4,320	5,289	7,796
Priority #2	New	Program Activity #2 - Health Information and Knowledge Management for AHR Technologies	5,361	6,720	4,633

Departmental Plans and Priorities

The Assisted Human Reproduction Agency of Canada (AHRAC), established on January 12, 2006, is a federal regulatory organization, which is responsible for administering a regulatory framework and regime to oversee AHR controlled activities, as well as to enforce prohibitions under the Act. Its primary functions will be to administer a licensing framework for controlled activities, to conduct enforcement measures to ensure compliance with prohibitions or terms and conditions of licences, to maintain a national personal health information registry, to provide public information on AHR activities and to promote discussion and advice on AHR issues.

AHRAC is about ensuring the health and safety of donors, patients and children born of AHR technologies. This will be accomplished by implementing a 'state of the art' regulatory framework and regime to oversee AHR procedures and related research in Canada. It will also become a focal point for AHR information to policymakers, practitioners, researchers, patients, children and the public.

AHRAC will be at the centre of an AHR regulatory regime that will include the expertise of other organizations in areas of medicine, allied health professions, accreditation, standards, law, consumer representation and provincial and territorial governments. AHRAC will conduct its decision-making and operations within this milieu on the principles of openness, transparency, accountability, ethics and broad-based representation.

AHRAC is established as a federal regulatory agency, which will maintain the integrity of the legislative intent by working in conjunction with Health Canada and stakeholders to carry out the roles and responsibilities as established by the AHR regulatory framework and regime.

AHRAC's immediate priorities will be to fit up the new agency, and then to build capacity to support the implementation of the AHR regulatory framework. An early activity will also include developing a strategic plan and priorities to begin administering the regulatory framework with licencing, enforcement and public information activities as primary endeavors.

During the fiscal year 2006-07, the Agency will focus on establishing its management and governance structures and staffing up as quickly as possible to begin implementing its systems in preparation to becoming operational. It will train staff, develop the organization's strategic plans, and implement its communications and outreach strategies. It will begin managing compliance and enforcement activities through a Memorandum of Understanding with Health Canada and will work with Health Canada to plan for the transition of the personal health information registry. It will also prepare its systems and processes to operate independently, while keeping abreast of progress on the development of the components of the AHR regulatory framework by Health Canada.

 

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page