The minister of health () 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
, 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 () existed from 2021 to 2023.
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:
No. Portrait Name Term of office Party Ministry Minister presiding over the Department of Health While President of Privy Council Newton Rowell 6 June 1919 10 July 1920Unionist10th (Borden) While Minister of Immigration and Colonization James Alexander Calder 10 July 1920 21 September 1921 National Liberal& Conservative 11 (Meighen) John Wesley Edwards 21 September 1921 29 December 1921 While Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment Henri Sévérin Béland 29 December 1921 15 April 1926 Liberal 12 (King) John Campbell Elliott 15 April 1926 29 June 1926 Robert James Manion (acting) 29 June 1926 13 July 1926 Conservative 13 (Meighen) Raymond Ducharme Morand (acting) 3 July 1926 23 August 1926: Eugène Paquet 23 August 1926 25 September 1926 James Horace King 25 September 1926 11 June 1928 Liberal 14 (King) Minister of Pensions and National Health Murray MacLaren 7 August 1930 17 November 1934 Conservative 15 (Bennett) Donald Matheson Sutherland 17 November 1934 23 October 1935 Charles Gavan Power 23 October 1935 19 September 1939 Liberal 16 (King) Ian Alistair Mackenzie 19 September 1939 18 October 1944 Minister of National Health and Welfare Brooke Claxton 18 October 1944 12 December 1946 Paul Martin Sr. 12 December 1946 15 November 1948 15 November 1948 21 June 1957 Liberal 17 (St. Laurent) Alfred Johnson Brooks (acting) 21 June 1957 22 August 1957 ProgressiveConservative 18 (Diefenbaker) Jay Monteith 22 August 1957 22 April 1963 Judy LaMarsh 22 April 1963 18 December 1965 Liberal 19 (Pearson) Allan MacEachen 18 December 1965 20 April 1968 20 April 1968 6 July 1968 20 (PE Trudeau) John Munro 6 July 1968 27 November 1972 Marc Lalonde 27 November 1972 16 September 1977 Monique Bégin 16 September 1977 4 June 1979 David Crombie 4 June 1979 3 March 1980 ProgressiveConservative 21 (Clark) Monique Bégin 3 March 1980 30 June 1984 Liberal 22 (PE Trudeau) 30 June 1984 17 September 1984 23 (Turner) Jake Epp 17 September 1984 30 January 1989 ProgressiveConservative 24 (Mulroney) Perrin Beatty 30 January 1989 21 April 1991 Benoît Bouchard 21 April 1991 25 June 1993 Mary Collins 25 June 1993 4 November 1993 25 (Campbell) Diane Marleau 4 November 1993 24 January 1996: Liberal 26 (Chrétien) David Dingwall 25 January 1996 11 July 1996 Minister of Health 1David DingwallJuly 12, 1996 June 10, 1997 2Allan Rock June 11, 1997 January 14, 2002 3 Anne McLellan January 15, 2002 December 11, 2003 4 Pierre Pettigrew December 12, 2003 July 19, 200427 (Martin) 5 Ujjal Dosanjh July 20, 2004 February 5, 2006 6 Tony Clement February 6, 2006 October 29, 2008 Conservative 28 (Harper) 7 Leona Aglukkaq October 30, 2008 July 15, 2013 8 Rona Ambrose July 15, 2013 November 4, 2015 9 Jane Philpott November 4, 2015 August 28, 2017 Liberal 29 (J. Trudeau) 10 Ginette Petitpas Taylor August 28, 2017 November 20, 2019 11 Patty Hajdu November 20, 2019 October 26, 2021 12 Jean-Yves Duclos October 26, 2021 July 26, 2023 13 Mark Holland July 26, 2023 March 14, 2025 14 Kamal Khera March 14, 2025 May 13, 202530 (M. Carney) 15 Marjorie Michel May 13, 2025 Incumbent
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."Health Portfolio." Health Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
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.
, 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.
Minister of Health Deputy Minister Chief Medical Advisor Director General, Office of Audit and Evaluation Departmental Audit Committee Internal Audit and Special Examinations Program Evaluation Division Performance Measurement Planning and Integration Practice Management
Health Products and Food Branch Director General, Biologics & Genetic Therapies Directorate Director General, Food Directorate Bureau of Chemical Safety Bureau of Nutritional Sciences Bureau of Microbial Hazards Bureau of Policy Intergovernmental & International Affairs Bureau of Food Surveillance & Science Integration Bureau of Business Systems & Operations Director General, Marketed Health Products Directorate Bureau of Strategic Engagement and Integrated Management Services Health Products Surveillance and Epidemiology Bureau Marketed Biologicals, Biotechnology and Natural Health Products Bureau Marketed Pharmaceuticals Bureau Office of Policy, Risk Advisory, & Advertising Director General, Medical Devices Directorate Bureau of Licensing Services Bureau of Investigation Testing Authorization, Special Access Program & Post-Market Surveillance Bureau of Evaluation Bureau of Planning & Operations Bureau of Policy & International Programs Director General, Natural & Non-prescription Health Products Directorate Bureau of Licensing Services & Systems Bureau of Product Review & Assessment Bureau of Strategic Planning & Business Services Bureau of Program Policy, Risk Management & Stakeholder Engagement Bureau of Consumer Health Product Modernization Director General, Office of Nutrition Policy & Promotion Director General, Policy, Planning & International Affairs Directorate Strategic Horizontal Policy Division Office of Legislative and Regulatory Modernization Director General, Resource Management & Operations Directorate Strategic Planning and Accountability Division Operational Management and Scientific Learning Division Transformation and Business Informatics Division Governance and Internal Communications Division Office of Submissions and Intellectual Property Director General, Therapeutic Products Directorate Bureau of Cardiology, Allergy & Neurological Sciences Bureau of Gastroenterology, Infection and Viral Diseases Bureau of Metabolism, Oncology and Reproductive Sciences Bureau of Pharmaceutical Sciences Bureau of Policy, Science and International Programs Bureau of Medical Sciences Office of Planning, Performance and Review Services Office of Clinical Trials Director General, Veterinary Drugs Directorate Human Safety Division Manufacturing and Chemical Evaluation Division Clinical Evaluation Division Submission and Knowledge Management Division Policy, Planning and International Affairs Division
Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch Director General, Consumer Product Safety Directorate Director, Risk Assessment Bureau Director, Risk Management Bureau Director, Program Development Bureau Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate Office of Management Services Science Secretariat Director, Environmental Health Science & Research Bureau, Chemicals Surveillance Bureau Director, Radiation Protection Bureau Director, Consumer & Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau Director General, Policy Planning and Integration Directorate Director General, Safe Environments Directorate
Opioid Response Team Controlled Substances Directorate Opioid Response Team Directorate Assistant Deputy Minister Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch Cannabis Directorate Laboratories Directorate Planning and Operations Directorate Health Product Compliance Directorate Policy and Regulatory Strategies Directorate Medical Devices and Clinical Compliance Directorate Consumer Product Safety, Tobacco and Pesticides Directorate Controlled Substances and Environmental Health Directorate
Communications & Public Affairs Branch Ethics & Internal Ombudsman Services Marketing and Communications Services Directorate Planning & Operations Division Public Affairs & Strategic Communications Directorate Stakeholder Relations & Consultation Directorate Pest Management Regulatory Agency Strategic Policy Branch Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch Corporate Services Branch Departmental Secretariat Executive Director & Senior General Counsel, Legal Services Chief Financial Officer Branch Departmental Performance Measurement & Evaluation Directorate Departmental Resource Management Directorate Financial Operations Directorate Exec. Director, Financial Management Accounting Operations & Systems Financial Services Division, First Nations & Inuit Health Branch Public Accounts & Policy Internal Control Division Materiel & Assets Management Directorate Planning & Corporate Management Practices Directorate President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Vice-President, Operations Assoc. Vice-President, Operations Vice-President, Science Chief Veterinary Officer Chief Science Operating Officer Vice-President, Policy & Programs Chief Food Safety Officer (Exec. Director, Food Safety & Consumer Protection Division) Chief Plant Health Officer (Exec. Director, Plant Health & Biosecurity Directorate)
VP, Innovation, Business & Service Development Chief Information Officer VP, Communications & Public Affairs VP, Human Resources VP, Corporate Management Chief Financial Officer
Assistant Deputy Minister, International Affairs Branch Chief, Audit & Evaluation Chief Redress Officer, Integrity and Redress Secretariat Exec. Director, Legal Services Executive Vice President Chief of Staff
President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Executive Vice-President