Each province and territory will continue to provide public reports to its citizens on a regular basis. Premiers direct their Health Ministers to begin work immediately on an approach to outcome measurement and to provide a progress report within six months. Working Together Provincial and territorial governments have constitutional responsibility for health and accordingly play the primary role in the design, management, and funding of the health system within their jurisdictions. Premiers recognize that maintaining and improving health involves the cooperation of health care providers, communities, individual citizens, and governments. Health care providers are in the front lines ensuring that Canadians receive quality health services.
Communities play a key role in promoting health, wellness, and preventing disease.
Individuals can make important contributions to Canada's health systems through numerous volunteer activities and by making wise choices in the use of health care services and by living healthy lifestyles. Through the sharing of best practices and information on health care systems, health care providers, communities and individuals will have better tools to take action to improve their own health and the health of others. The federal government plays an important role by providing resources to provinces and territories through the Canada Health and Social Transfer. It also has the constitutional commitment to the principle of making equalization payments to ensure that provincial governments have sufficient revenues to provide reasonably comparable levels of public services at reasonably comparable levels of taxation. The federal government also plays a significant role in the regulation of food and drugs, funding health research and in promoting the health and wellness of Canadians.