Canada's chief science adviser urges federal review of COVID-19 handling

Mona Nemer, Canada’s chief science adviser, called for a structured, apolitical review of the federal COVID-19 response to address public anger and improve future health preparedness.

Canada’s chief science adviser, Mona Nemer, urged the federal government to create a clear, non-partisan process for reviewing its COVID-19 response, aiming to understand the varied reasons behind public frustration. She pointed to grievances ranging from economic loss to personal bereavement and disrupted schooling, insisting that a focused inquiry should avoid open-ended deliberations that lose momentum. Nemer noted a decline in trust toward authorities, attributing it to a lack of transparent discussion and context about the pandemic’s successes and failures.

She also expressed concern over the global handling of emerging diseases such as Ebola, citing delayed diagnostics in the current outbreak. While Nemer advocated for integrating pandemic preparedness into routine health services, Conservative MP Dean Allison announced his own September inquiry into vaccine injury testimonies, promising a non-partisan panel. Overall, the adviser stressed that cultivating public trust between crises is essential for effective future health responses.