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 Marjorie Michel.
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. The position of associate minister of health (French: ministre associée de la santé) existed from 2021 to 2023.
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History
The first Department of Health in Canada was established in 1919 (during a time Canada would be dealing with the Spanish flu, which took the lives of 50,000 by 1920), 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.
The position of associate minister of health was created on October 26, 2021, for Carolyn Bennett. Ya'ara Saks was the second and last minister of mental health and addictions. She was appointed on July 26, 2023, and concurrently served as the minister of mental health and addictions. The position was abolished on March 14, 2025, at the start of the 30th Canadian Ministry.
List of ministers
Key:
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.
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.