# Minister of Health (Canada)

The minister of health (French: ministre de la santé) is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing health-focused government agencies including Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as enforcing the Canada Health Act, the law governing Canada's universal health care system.
The current minister is Kamal Khera.
The minister is responsible for the federal government's Health Portfolio, which comprises:
* Canadian Food Inspection Agency
* Canadian Institutes of Health Research
* Health Canada
* Patented Medicine Prices Review Board
* Public Health Agency of Canada
As of 2023, the Health Portfolio consists of approximately 12,000 full-time equivalent employees and an annual budget of over $3.8 billion.

## History

The first Department of Health in Canada was established in 1919, and unlike most other departments, had no designated minister. The president of the Privy Council was the first designated to manage the department, which was followed by the minister of immigration and colonization in 1921 under Arthur Meighen, then the minister of soldiers' civil re-establishment later that year under William Lyon Mackenzie King. The minister of soldiers' civil re-establishment managed the Department of Health through the next Meighen and King governments.
In 1928, the Department of Health and minister of soldiers' civil re-establishment were abolished and replaced with the Department and minister of pensions and national health. In 1944, the position was again split into two roles, with the war veteran portfolio going to the minister of veterans affairs, and the rest of the portfolio moving to the minister of national health and welfare.
The role of minister of national health and welfare was abolished in 1996, and replaced with the current minister of health. Jane Philpott was the first medical doctor to hold the post.

## List of ministers

Key:
| No. | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Ministry |
| Minister presiding over the Department of Health | Minister presiding over the Department of Health | Minister presiding over the Department of Health | Minister presiding over the Department of Health | Minister presiding over the Department of Health | |
| | While President of Privy Council | While President of Privy Council | While President of Privy Council | While President of Privy Council | | |
| | | Newton Rowell | 6 June 1919 | 10 July 1920 | Unionist | 10th (Borden) |
| | While Minister of Immigration and Colonization | While Minister of Immigration and Colonization | While Minister of Immigration and Colonization | While Minister of Immigration and Colonization | | |
| | | James Alexander Calder | 10 July 1920 | 21 September 1921 | National Liberal & Conservative | 11 (Meighen) |
| | John Wesley Edwards | 21 September 1921 | 29 December 1921 | | National Liberal & Conservative | 11 (Meighen) |
| | While Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment | While Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment | While Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment | While Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment | | |
| | | Henri Sévérin Béland | 29 December 1921 | 15 April 1926 | Liberal | 12 (King) |
| | John Campbell Elliott | 15 April 1926 | 29 June 1926 | | Liberal | 12 (King) |
| | | Robert James Manion (acting) | 29 June 1926 | 13 July 1926 | Conservative | 13 (Meighen) |
| | Raymond Ducharme Morand (acting) | 3 July 1926 | 23 August 1926: | | Conservative | 13 (Meighen) |
| | Eugène Paquet | 23 August 1926 | 25 September 1926 | | Conservative | 13 (Meighen) |
| | | James Horace King | 25 September 1926 | 11 June 1928 | Liberal | 14 (King) |
| Minister of Pensions and National Health | Minister of Pensions and National Health | Minister of Pensions and National Health | Minister of Pensions and National Health | Minister of Pensions and National Health | | |
| | | Murray MacLaren | 7 August 1930 | 17 November 1934 | Conservative | 15 (Bennett) |
| | Donald Matheson Sutherland | 17 November 1934 | 23 October 1935 | | Conservative | 15 (Bennett) |
| | | Charles Gavan Power | 23 October 1935 | 19 September 1939 | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| | Ian Alistair Mackenzie | 19 September 1939 | 18 October 1944 | | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| 16 (King) |||||
| | | Brooke Claxton | 18 October 1944 | 12 December 1946 | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| | Paul Martin Sr. | 12 December 1946 | 15 November 1948 | | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| | Paul Martin Sr. | 15 November 1948 | 21 June 1957 | Liberal | 17 (St. Laurent) |
| | | Alfred Johnson Brooks (acting) | 21 June 1957 | 22 August 1957 | Progressive Conservative | 18 (Diefenbaker) |
| | Jay Monteith | 22 August 1957 | 22 April 1963 | | Progressive Conservative | 18 (Diefenbaker) |
| | | Judy LaMarsh | 22 April 1963 | 18 December 1965 | Liberal | 19 (Pearson) |
| | Allan MacEachen | 18 December 1965 | 20 April 1968 | | Liberal | 19 (Pearson) |
| | Allan MacEachen | 20 April 1968 | 6 July 1968 | 20 (PE Trudeau) | Liberal |
| | John Munro | 6 July 1968 | 27 November 1972 | 20 (PE Trudeau) | Liberal |
| | Marc Lalonde | 27 November 1972 | 16 September 1977 | 20 (PE Trudeau) | Liberal |
| | Monique Bégin | 16 September 1977 | 4 June 1979 | 20 (PE Trudeau) | Liberal |
| | | David Crombie | 4 June 1979 | 3 March 1980 | Progressive Conservative | 21 (Clark) |
| | | Monique Bégin | 3 March 1980 | 30 June 1984 | Liberal | 22 (PE Trudeau) |
| 30 June 1984 | | Monique Bégin | 17 September 1984 | 23 (Turner) | Liberal |
| | | Jake Epp | 17 September 1984 | 30 January 1989 | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| | Perrin Beatty | 30 January 1989 | 21 April 1991 | | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| | Benoît Bouchard | 21 April 1991 | 25 June 1993 | | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| | Mary Collins | 25 June 1993 | 4 November 1993 | 25 (Campbell) | Progressive Conservative |
| | | Diane Marleau | 4 November 1993 | 24 January 1996: | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| | David Dingwall | 25 January 1996 | 11 July 1996 | | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 26 (Chrétien) |||||
| 1 | | David Dingwall | July 12, 1996 | June 10, 1997 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 2 | | Allan Rock | June 11, 1997 | January 14, 2002 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 3 | | Anne McLellan | January 15, 2002 | December 11, 2003 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 4 | | Pierre Pettigrew | December 12, 2003 | July 19, 2004 | Liberal | 27 (Martin) |
| 5 | | Ujjal Dosanjh | July 20, 2004 | February 5, 2006 | Liberal | 27 (Martin) |
| 6 | | Tony Clement | February 6, 2006 | October 29, 2008 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 7 | | Leona Aglukkaq | October 30, 2008 | July 15, 2013 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 8 | | Rona Ambrose | July 15, 2013 | November 4, 2015 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 9 | | Jane Philpott | November 4, 2015 | August 28, 2017 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 10 | | Ginette Petitpas Taylor | August 28, 2017 | November 20, 2019 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 11 | | Patty Hajdu | November 20, 2019 | October 26, 2021 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 12 | | Jean-Yves Duclos | October 26, 2021 | July 26, 2023 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 13 | | Mark Holland | July 26, 2023 | March 14, 2025 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 14 | | Kamal Khera | March 14, 2025 | Incumbent | Liberal | 30 (M. Carney) |

## Health Portfolio

The Health Portfolio is an institution of several governmental departments that supports the Minister of Health's responsibility of maintaining and improving the health of Canadians.
Along with Health Canada, the portfolio consists of: the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Patented Medicine Prices Review Board. and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
As of 2023, the Health Portfolio consists of approximately 12,000 full-time equivalent employees and an annual budget of over $3.8 billion.

### Departmental hierarchies

The hierarchy of portfolio organizations are listed below.
* Minister of Health
** Deputy Minister
*** Chief Medical Advisor
*** Director General, Office of Audit and Evaluation
**** Departmental Audit Committee
**** Internal Audit and Special Examinations
**** Program Evaluation Division
**** Performance Measurement Planning and Integration
**** Practice Management
*** Health Products and Food Branch
**** Director General, Biologics & Genetic Therapies Directorate
**** Director General, Food Directorate
***** Bureau of Chemical Safety
***** Bureau of Nutritional Sciences
***** Bureau of Microbial Hazards
***** Bureau of Policy Intergovernmental & International Affairs
***** Bureau of Food Surveillance & Science Integration
***** Bureau of Business Systems & Operations
**** Director General, Marketed Health Products Directorate
***** Bureau of Strategic Engagement and Integrated Management Services
***** Health Products Surveillance and Epidemiology Bureau
***** Marketed Biologicals, Biotechnology and Natural Health Products Bureau
***** Marketed Pharmaceuticals Bureau
***** Office of Policy, Risk Advisory, & Advertising
**** Director General, Medical Devices Directorate
***** Bureau of Licensing Services
***** Bureau of Investigation Testing Authorization, Special Access Program & Post-Market Surveillance
***** Bureau of Evaluation
***** Bureau of Planning & Operations
***** Bureau of Policy & International Programs
**** Director General, Natural & Non-prescription Health Products Directorate
***** Bureau of Licensing Services & Systems
***** Bureau of Product Review & Assessment
***** Bureau of Strategic Planning & Business Services
***** Bureau of Program Policy, Risk Management & Stakeholder Engagement
***** Bureau of Consumer Health Product Modernization
**** Director General, Office of Nutrition Policy & Promotion
**** Director General, Policy, Planning & International Affairs Directorate
***** Strategic Horizontal Policy Division
***** Office of Legislative and Regulatory Modernization
**** Director General, Resource Management & Operations Directorate
***** Strategic Planning and Accountability Division
***** Operational Management and Scientific Learning Division
***** Transformation and Business Informatics Division
***** Governance and Internal Communications Division
***** Office of Submissions and Intellectual Property
**** Director General, Therapeutic Products Directorate
***** Bureau of Cardiology, Allergy & Neurological Sciences
***** Bureau of Gastroenterology, Infection and Viral Diseases
***** Bureau of Metabolism, Oncology and Reproductive Sciences
***** Bureau of Pharmaceutical Sciences
***** Bureau of Policy, Science and International Programs
***** Bureau of Medical Sciences
***** Office of Planning, Performance and Review Services
***** Office of Clinical Trials
**** Director General, Veterinary Drugs Directorate
***** Human Safety Division
***** Manufacturing and Chemical Evaluation Division
***** Clinical Evaluation Division
***** Submission and Knowledge Management Division
***** Policy, Planning and International Affairs Division
*** Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch
**** Director General, Consumer Product Safety Directorate
***** Director, Risk Assessment Bureau
***** Director, Risk Management Bureau
***** Director, Program Development Bureau
**** Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate
***** Office of Management Services
***** Science Secretariat
***** Director, Environmental Health Science & Research Bureau, Chemicals Surveillance Bureau
***** Director, Radiation Protection Bureau
***** Director, Consumer & Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau
**** Director General, Policy Planning and Integration Directorate
**** Director General, Safe Environments Directorate
*** Opioid Response Team
**** Controlled Substances Directorate
**** Opioid Response Team Directorate
** Assistant Deputy Minister
*** Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch
**** Cannabis Directorate
**** Laboratories Directorate
**** Planning and Operations Directorate
**** Health Product Compliance Directorate
**** Policy and Regulatory Strategies Directorate
**** Medical Devices and Clinical Compliance Directorate
**** Consumer Product Safety, Tobacco and Pesticides Directorate
**** Controlled Substances and Environmental Health Directorate
*** Communications & Public Affairs Branch
**** Ethics & Internal Ombudsman Services
**** Marketing and Communications Services Directorate
**** Planning & Operations Division
**** Public Affairs & Strategic Communications Directorate
**** Stakeholder Relations & Consultation Directorate
*** Pest Management Regulatory Agency
*** Strategic Policy Branch
*** Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch
*** Corporate Services Branch
*** Departmental Secretariat
** Executive Director & Senior General Counsel, Legal Services
** Chief Financial Officer Branch
*** Departmental Performance Measurement & Evaluation Directorate
*** Departmental Resource Management Directorate
*** Financial Operations Directorate
**** Exec. Director, Financial Management
**** Accounting Operations & Systems
**** Financial Services Division, First Nations & Inuit Health Branch
**** Public Accounts & Policy
*** Internal Control Division
*** Materiel & Assets Management Directorate
*** Planning & Corporate Management Practices Directorate
* President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research
** Executive Vice-President
*** Assoc. VP, Research, Knowledge Translation & Ethics
*** Assoc. VP, Governance & External Relations
*** Assoc. VP, Corporate Services
** VP, Research Programs
*** Assoc. VP, Research Programs – Strategy
** Science Council (chaired by the President)
** Governing Council (President is an ex officio member of all Standing Committees)
*** Chair
*** Vice Chair
**** Executive Committee
**** Governance and Nominating Committee
**** Standing Committee on Ethics
**** Standing Committee on Finance
**** CIHR Audit Committee
**** Stem Cell Oversight Committee
CIHR Institutes
** Scientific Director, Institute of Aging
** Scientific Director, Institute of Cancer Research
** Scientific Director, Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health
** Scientific Director, Institute of Gender and Health
** Scientific Director, Institute of Genetics
** Scientific Director, Institute of Health Services and Policy Research
** Scientific Director, Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health
** Scientific Director, Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health
** Scientific Director, Institute of Infection and Immunity
** Scientific Director, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis
** Scientific Director, Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction
** Scientific Director, Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes
** Scientific Director, Institute of Population and Public Health
* Chairperson
** Members
** Vice Chairperson
** Executive Director
*** General Counsel
*** Director Board Secretariat
*** Director, Policy and Economic Analysis
*** Director, Regulatory Affairs and Outreach
*** Director, Corporate Services
The Public Health Agency of Canada's (PHAC) senior leadership includes the Minister of Health, Associate Minister of Health, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Chief Public Health Officer, President of PHAC, and the Executive Vice-President of PHAC.