The first Epidemiology Division was established in 1937 by Pensions and National Health but ceased to function in 1939. Following the recommendations of the National Epidemiological Survey in Canada in 1947, the Division was re-established by changing the name of the Tuberculosis Control Division, and in January 1951, the Venereal Disease Control Division was added. From 1953 to 1966, Epidemiology was part of the Research Development section of the Health Services Directorate; in February, 1966, the Health Services Directorate was further re-organized and consolidated into the Health Services Branch and the Health Insurance and Resources Branch. In 1972, a major departmental reorganization resulted in the creation of the Health Protection Branch where epidemiology is currently the Bureau of Communicable Disease Epidemiology in the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control (LCDC). The major objectives of this Bureau include consultation, outbreak investigation, and dissemination of information.
In order to carry out these functions, the Advisory Committee on Epidemiology was established in 1962 to advise the Minister of Health and Welfare and the appropriate departmental officials on matters relating to the study and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases, including chronic illness. Membership of this committee includes epidemiologists from the federal government, the provincial health departments, universities and other consultants. The Committee considers such topics as smallpox control measures, disease surveillance techniques, a national cancer registry, and salmonellosis in food. A companion committee, the National Advisory Committee on Immunizing Agents (later changed to Immunization) (NACI), was established in 1964. The NACI advises and makes recommendations to the Minister on topics relating to immunization such as reactions to vaccines, the merits of dead vs. live vaccines, and the development of an immunization schedule.
The records in this accession consist of meeting minutes and "handouts" from both of these committees. "Handouts" refers to copies of papers, extracts from medical journals, memoranda, and other publications such as copies of provincial legislation. The first three files in Box 1 consist of historical material on the history of epidemiology and venereal disease control in the federal government, including administrative histories, organization charts, job descriptions from the 1950s and 1960s as well as promotional pamphlets and provincial legislation.
