Public Health Division

The Public Health Division provides leadership and support to Ontario's public health system including 36 boards of health; advice to corporate management on public health issues; a provincial epidemiology service and response to control outbreaks of disease both communicable and non-communicable; and management of transfer payments for public health programs. The division provides recommendations for policy and long-range planning to prevent the spread of disease, promote and protect health.

 The Division is responsible for the monitoring and enforcement of standards for the delivery of public programs. As part of its mandate, the Division has broad responsibilities to support the Minister of Health and other Branches in the Ministry on public health issues that relate to other Ministries and functions of the government, and to liaise with other provinces, territories and the federal government.

Public Health Funding

The cost of public health programs and services are shared between the province and local municipalities. The combined budget for public health programs and services equates to less than 2% the total of health care budget.

Cost-sharing:
Prior to 1998 75 per cent of the cost of public health programs and services (40% in Metro Toronto), was funded by the province. In addition, the province also funded 100 per cent of the costs for Tobacco Use Prevention, Sexual Health, and HIV/AIDS programs.

In 1998 the local municipality assumed 100 per cent of costs for public health except for the Healthy Babies/Healthy Children Program which was 100% provincially funded.

In 1999 funding reverted to cost shared, plus 100% provincial funding for the direct program costs of the Healthy Babies/Healthy Children Program. The Ministry also continues to fund vaccines for immunization programs and drugs for use in the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis and leprosy.

In 2004, in response to recommendations from a number of provincial and federal reports emerging as a result of the SARS outbreak in Ontario, the province announced new provincial funding for public health and changes to the funding formula for public health programs and services. These initiatives were designed to enhance the total funding available for public health in order to improve local public health capacity. The following schedule of stepped increases to the provincial share of public health funding was introduced:

• January 1, 2005 – 55% province, 45% municipalities
• January 1, 2006 – 65% province, 35% municipalities
• January 1, 2007 – 75% province, 25% municipalities

In accordance with Section 72 of the HPPA:

• The obligated municipalities shall pay the expenses of the board of health and the medical officer of health
• The obligated municipalities shall ensure that the amount paid is sufficient to enable the board of health to provide or ensure the provision of health programs and services
• The obligated municipalities shall pay the expenses in such proportion as is agreed upon among them or as determined in accordance with regulations
• A BOH shall give annually to each obligated municipality a written notice that specifies the amount required to defray expenses referred to above
• An obligated municipality that is given a notice by a BOH shall pay to the BOH the amount required by the notice at the time required by the notice.

Section 76 makes provisions for the cost sharing with the Province as follows:

• The Minister may make grants for the purposes of this Act on such conditions as he or she considers appropriate.