New Chief Public Health Officer Prioritizes Fighting Misinformation, Rebuilding Trust

Tackling health misinformation and rebuilding public trust are top priorities for Canada’s incoming chief public health officer Dr. Joss Reimer, who was appointed to a three-year term beginning April 1.

In her first interview following Friday’s appointment announcement, the Manitoba native emphasized the need for the federal government to take a proactive approach against false health information.

“One of the biggest challenges with health misinformation is the speed at which it changes, because it doesn’t take a lot of time to come up with a lie,” Reimer said, acknowledging the erosion of trust in health institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Because there was so much difficulty, people were losing jobs and income, people were being separated from loved ones. And whether or not those were right decisions, it was hard,” she explained. “We have a lot of trust-building that we’re going to need to do that’s going to take years.”

Reimer replaces Dr. Theresa Tam, who retired in June after eight years in the role. Tam became a household name during the pandemic, providing near-daily updates to Canadians navigating rapidly changing health information and guidelines.

No stranger to public health leadership, Reimer previously served as chief medical officer for the Winnipeg health authority and led Manitoba’s COVID-19 vaccine implementation task force. Her appointment comes at a critical moment for Canadian public health.

Health Minister Marjorie Michel highlighted the challenges facing the Public Health Agency, including “a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, the threats posed by avian influenza A (H5N1), HIV and tuberculosis, the ongoing impacts of the illegal drug crisis and the harmful impacts of false health information.”

The measles outbreak is particularly concerning to Reimer. “I come from a small town which is part of the measles outbreak and where we have seen a fair bit of vaccine hesitancy. And we need to have partnerships from on the ground, from community leaders all the way up to the federal government,” she said.

The ongoing outbreak has resulted in Canada losing the measles elimination status it had maintained since 1998, a development that public health experts nationwide find alarming. The United States and Mexico also risk losing their elimination status.

Reimer noted that the rise in measles cases isn’t surprising given the disease’s highly contagious nature coupled with increasing misinformation and vaccine hesitancy. Canadian health officials have warned that misinformation extends beyond social media platforms.

Last December, Minister Michel expressed concerns about the reliability of American health institutions as information sources for Canadians, citing the Trump administration’s cuts to research funding and promotion of false vaccine information.

When asked about this, Reimer emphasized Canada’s need to be self-sufficient in providing trustworthy information. “I know that there are still really amazing people in the American system doing wonderful work, and so I think that there’s a lot of ways that we can continue to work together,” she said.

Reimer brings significant credentials to her new role, including a master’s degree in public health and research experience in sexually transmitted diseases and drug-related harms. She previously served as president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), where she delivered a formal apology to Indigenous Peoples for harms caused by the medical profession.

Nancy Hamzawi, president of the Public Health Agency of Canada, expressed confidence in the appointment, stating, “At a time when strong, science-driven leadership has never been more important, I am confident that her vision and dedication will help advance the public health and well-being of Canadians.”

Dr. Margot Burnell, current CMA president, praised Reimer’s calm leadership during the pandemic and noted that during her CMA tenure, Reimer “led the fight against false health information and advocated strongly for solutions to improve access to care for everyone in Canada.”

As Reimer prepares to assume her new role, rebuilding trust in public health information and combating misinformation will be central to addressing Canada’s pressing health challenges, from resurgent infectious diseases to the ongoing drug crisis.