Health Leaders from United States, México and Canada Sign Declaration on Mutual Support During a Health Emergency

United States, Canada, and Mexico trilateral signing of the Declaration of Intent for a mutual assistance protocol during a public health emergency.

November 1, 2007 - The U.S. Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs and Democracy, the Honorable Paula Dobriansky, Ph.D.; the Secretary of Health of México, the Honorable José Ángel Córdova Villalobos, M.D.; the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Honorable Michael O. Leavitt; and the Minister of Health of Canada, the Honorable Tony Clement, M.P., at the signing of a Trilateral Declaration for Mutual Assistance during a Public-Health Emergency, in Washington, D.C. Secretary Córdova and Minister Clement were in Washington for the eighth Global Health Security Initiative Ministerial.

November 1, 2007 – The Health Ministers of México and Canada joined U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Michael O. Leavitt in Washington, D.C., today to sign a Trilateral Declaration for Mutual Assistance during a Public-Health Emergency. The Secretary of Health of México, the Honorable José Ángel Córdova Villalobos, M.D., and the Minister of Health of Canada, the Honorable Tony Clement, M.P., are in town this week for the eighth Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI) Ministerial.

The Declaration signed today falls under the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP), an agreement President Bush and his counterparts from the other two countries launched in March 2005 to increase security and enhance prosperity through greater cooperation and sharing of information. This Declaration provides a mechanism for the three countries to provide mutual assistance in the event one (or more) of them faces a public-health emergency, such as a pandemic influenza, and is a major step towards implementing the North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza, completed in August 2007.

Also present at the signing ceremony were the Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, the Honorable Paula J. Dobriansky, Ph.D., and the Special Representative of the Secretary of State for Avian and Pandemic Influenza, the Honorable John Lange.

For more information:

• Declaration Among the Department of Health and Human Services of the United States of America, the Department of Health of Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Ministry of Health of the United Mexican States  (PDF - 1 MB)  (Security and Prosperity Partnership Of North America)

Last revised: November 20, 2007