Population and Public Health Ethics in Canada: A Snapshot of Current National Initiatives and Future Issues

To date, some work has been undertaken to define a code and stewardship framework for public health ethics. However, gaps in our understanding and application of ethics to the field of population and public health (PPH) remain. This paper presents the approach to building capacity for PPH ethics by three national-level organizations: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research-Institute of Population and Public Health, the National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy, and the Public Health Agency of Canada. By first looking at each of the organizations’ respective activities and then across organizations, we synthesize our common approaches, highlight future directions and pose questions aimed at stimulating dialogue about the role of, and challenges confronting, the emerging field of PPH ethics in Canada.