Joint Statement: Bill 55 – A Call for Transparent, Evidence-Based Reform

The Alberta Public Health Association (APHA) and the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) are concerned about Alberta’s Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (Bill 55), which consolidates control over public health under the direct authority of the provincial government. The bill moves Medical Officers of Health (MOHs) and public health inspectors from Alberta Health Services (AHS) to Alberta Health, while transferring communicable disease control and other critical public health activities to a newly created agency, Primary Care Alberta.

While we recognize the need for improved coordination and efficiency in health service delivery, CPHA and APHA caution that the changes in Bill 55 risk undermining the effectiveness, integrity, and independence of public health in Alberta.

Lack of Stakeholder Engagement

These sweeping reforms appear to have been introduced with minimal consultation with public health leaders, health professionals, or affected communities. A policy shift of this magnitude requires transparent dialogue and evidence-based planning that can be provided by public health stakeholders.

Erosion of Public Health Independence

Public health requires the ability to act quickly and impartially, particularly during health emergencies. The current model, which grants MOHs a degree of operational independence, is essential to maintaining public confidence and ensuring science-based decision-making. Centralizing public health roles directly under ministerial authority creates the potential for political interference, weakening the ability of MOHs to communicate risk and act in the public’s best interest. To address this, the Alberta government should establish a leadership structure that connects MOHs to the full range of public health functions across the newly created agencies, ensuring that public health voices remain central to decision-making. Additionally, there should be allowances for MOHs to maintain, and strengthen, relationships with municipalities and other stakeholders in order to effectively improve and protect population health. 

Fragmentation of Public Health Functions

APHA and CPHA are also concerned about the decision to shift responsibility for key public health functions to Primary Care Alberta. Public health relies on community-based, integrated, and coordinated approaches that span surveillance, disease prevention, health promotion, health protection, and emergency response. Fragmenting these functions into an already overburdened primary care system risks reducing the coherence and effectiveness of the public health system, potentially leading to gaps in response, loss of institutional knowledge, and slower containment of public health threats. Furthermore, fragmentation of public health functions raises concerns about medical oversight and support for the functions moving to Primary Care Alberta, which is typically a role filled by MOHs as medical experts in public health and preventive medicine.

APHA and CPHA Recommend the Province of Alberta:

• Engage meaningfully with public health professionals, Indigenous health leaders, frontline providers, and communities to design reforms that truly meet Albertans’ needs.
• Prioritize transparent, timely, and consistent communication about the goals, processes, and anticipated impacts of these reforms to build public trust and foster collaboration with public health stakeholders.
• Preserve the independence of MOHs by establishing clear legislative safeguards that protect their ability to act based on science and public health best practices.
• Maintain the integrity of public health functions within a strong, integrated public health system that is designed to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats with coherence and accountability.

At a time when public trust in health institutions is fragile there is a need for a coordinated, science-driven public health system. Alberta must avoid reforms that dilute core public health functions and jeopardize its ability to protect the health of all Albertans.