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ARCHIVED - RPP 2007-2008
Assisted Human Reproduction Canada


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Section I - Overview

Minister's Message

Tony Clement - Minister of Health It is my pleasure to present the 2007-2008 Report on Plans and Priorities for Assisted Human Reproduction Canada (AHRC). The Agency, through the administration of the Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR) Act, will regulate in the sector of assisted human reproduction, and will seek to protect and promote the health, safety and dignity of individuals who access assisted human reproduction technologies to help them build their families.

I am proud that the new President and board of directors have assumed office, and that they are implementing their governance and outreach role preparing the Agency to become operational in the 2007-08 fiscal year. In addition, the Agency continues to put in place the processes and structures that will enable it to administer the AHR Act, which became law in 2004.

The Act brought into force prohibitions against unacceptable practices such as human cloning, together with other measures to protect the health and safety of individuals using AHR technologies. The Act also includes provisions requiring that research using the in-vitro human embryo in Canada take place within a controlled environment, and establishes the Agency, Assisted Human Reproduction Canada

Once the components of the regulatory framework have been developed, the Agency will license AHR controlled activities, enforce compliance with the regulations, monitor trends and developments, collect and safeguard personal health information and provide advice to the Minister of Health on these matters. Health Canada is continuing its work to complete a regulatory framework in this sector and introduce these regulations.

The Agency has an important leadership role to play in the area of assisted human reproduction and will be an important contributor to safeguarding the health and safety of Canadians

Management Representation Statement

I submit for tabling in Parliament, the 2007-08 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) for Assisted Human Reproduction Canada.

This document has been prepared based on the reporting principles contained in Guide for the Preparation of Part III of the 2007-2008 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 strategic outcome(s) and Program Activity Architecture that were approved by the Treasury Board;
  • It presents consistent, comprehensive, balanced and reliable 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.

Name: Elinor Wilson
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Assisted Human Reproduction Canada

Health Portfolio Overview

The Minister of Health, through the work of the Health Portfolio, is responsible for maintaining and improving the health of Canadians. The Portfolio consists of Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board and the newly-formed Assisted Human Reproduction Canada. Each member of the Portfolio prepares its own Report on Plans and Priorities.

The Health Portfolio consists of approximately 11,400 employees and an annual budget of over $4.5 billion.

Health Portfolio

Program Activity Architecture (PAA) Crosswalk

The program for 2007-08 is unchanged from 2006-07. The appointments of the board of directors, including the Chairperson of the board, the President of the Agency and eight members were announced in December 2006. The President of Assisted Human Reproduction Canada took office in February 2007. There have been no changes to the PAA (strategic outcomes and program activities).

Summary Information


Assisted Human Reproduction Canada was established under the authority of the AHR 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 carrying out inspections and enforcement related to activities controlled under the Act.


Financial Resources (indicate denomination)


2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010
$13,476 $12,412 $10,544

Human Resources


2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010
44 FTE's 44 FTE's 44 FTE's

Departmental Priorities


Name Type
Priority #1 Licensing and Enforcement of a Regulatory Framework for Assisted Human Reproduction Technologies Ongoing
Priority #2 Health Information and Knowledge Management for Assisted Human Reproduction Technologies Ongoing

Departmental Plans and Priorities

Assisted Human Reproduction Canada (AHRC), established on January 12, 2006, is a federal regulatory agency responsible for administering a regulatory regime that will be created under the AHR Act. The Agency's primary functions are to license and inspect activities controlled under the Act, to maintain a personal health information registry, and to provide the public and professions with information respecting AHR issues.

AHRC will seek to protect and promote the health and safety of Canadians who use, and children who are born of, AHR technologies. This will be accomplished by implementing a regulatory framework that will oversee AHR procedures and related research in Canada. The Agency will also become a focal point for AHR information to policymakers, practitioners, researchers, persons undergoing AHR procedures, children born of AHR technologies and the public.

AHRC may, in carrying out its mandate, draw upon the expertise of other organizations in areas of medicine, health professions, accreditation, standards, law, consumer representation, as well as provincial and territorial governments. AHRC will conduct its operations within this milieu on the principles of openness, transparency, accountability, ethics and broad-based representation.

AHRC's President began her term of office in February 2007. The immediate priorities are to fit up the new Agency, to build capacity to support the future implementation of the AHR regulatory framework, to design and implement a strong outreach and stakeholder engagement strategy and to develop a strategic plan in respect of enforcement and public information activities.

During the fiscal year 2007-08, the Agency will focus on establishing its management and governance structures and hiring staff 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 Health Canada's progress in the development of the components of the AHR regulatory framework.