Program directory · Health Canada
Health Impacts of Chemicals
- Department
- Health Canada
- Program code
- BVH09 (H)
- Core responsibility
- Health Protection and Promotion
- In Departmental Plans
- 2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan
What it does
The Health Impacts of Chemicals Program aims to protect the health of people in Canada, through the assessment and management of health risks associated with environmental contaminants. The Program conducts risk assessments on both substances currently in commerce ("existing substances") and substances entering the Canadian market (“new substances”). The Program further supports research, monitoring and surveillance initiatives, and provides expert advice and guidelines on the health impacts of substances. Through national outreach activities, such as the Healthy Home website, the Program provides information to people in Canada to help protect children and others from chemicals of concern and pollutants. In addition to chemicals management under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, the Program also supports the assessment of environmental risks and health implications of substances under the Pest Control Products Act, Food and Drugs Act and Canada Consumer Product Safety Act. This Program also provides guidance and training for assessing risks to human health posed by federal contaminated sites and provides expertise to support assessments of the impacts of planned major resource and infrastructure projects. Finally, the Program provides technical support for responses to chemical emergencies when federal assistance is required.
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2018-19. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).
| Program | Relation | Years with data | Actual spending over those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Impacts of Chemicals | This program | 2018-19 – 2028-29 | $553M |
No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.
Significant changes in scope and budget
Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.
| Year | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Indicators dropped: Percentage of substances assessed within prescribed timelines (Program Target for Existing Substances) | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2023-24 | Indicators added: Percentage of existing chemicals addressed within targeted timelines | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2023-24 | Indicators dropped: Percentage of substances assessed within targeted timelines (Annual Target for Existing Substances) | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2024-25 | Indicators dropped: Percentage of existing chemicals addressed within targeted timelines | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2025-26 | Planned employees (FTEs) 640, against 518 in 2024-25 (+24%). | FTEs (GC InfoBase) |
| 2026-27 | Planned employees (FTEs) 461, against 640 in 2025-26 (−28%). | FTEs (GC InfoBase) |
| 2026-27 | Indicators added: Cumulative percentage of the total risk assessment priorities in the Plan of Priorities that have been assessed to date | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2026-27 | Indicators dropped: Percentage of actions taken in a timely manner to protect the health of Canadians from substances found to be a risk to human health | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2026-27 | Planned spending $56.7M, against $98.5M in 2025-26 (−42%). | Latest Departmental Plan |
Success criteria
The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.
Historical: targets against results
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 100% – 100% | 2019 | 88% This target is aspirational. Managing risks to human health and the environment from substances is complex, as it often includes research, consultations with stakeholders and analyzing socio-economic impacts. As a result, delays in the development of the proposed and final risk management actions may occur. The Program will continue to streamline processes and look for further efficiencies in ord… | Not met |
| 2019-20 | ≥ 100% | 2020 | 100% | Met |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 100% | 2021 | 100% Managing risks to human health from substances involves research, consultations with stakeholders and analyzing socioeconomic impacts. As a result, delays in the development of the proposed and final risk management actions may occur. The Program will continue to streamline processes and look for further efficiencies in order to continuously strive towards the target of 100%. | Met |
| 2021-22 | 100% – 100% | 2022 | 100% | Met |
| 2022-23 | 100% – 100% | 2023 | 95% This target was not met due to one risk management action being delayed. | Not met |
| 2023-24 | 100% – 100% | 2024 | 95% This target was not met due to one risk management action being delayed. | Not met |
| 2024-25 | 100% – 100% | 2025 | 100% | Met |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 100% – 100% | 2024 | 100% | Met |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 100% – 100% | 2019 | 92% The scientific complexity of some assessments and the additional time needed to determine appropriate risk management approaches resulted in delays in the completion of some of the assessments within the prescribed timelines. Steps are being taken to address these delays, such as prioritizing regulatory packages and acquiring surge capacity to support more assessments. | Not met |
| 2019-20 | ≥ 100% | 2020 | 73% Some assessments were delayed due to substance complexities, new information being received late and the need to align with other work. | Not met |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 100% | 2021 | 94% 94% of substances were assessed within prescribed timelines (237 of 253 targeted). The assessments that were delayed during the reporting period are expected to be published in the first two quarters of 2021-22. The Annual Target represents the substances that were planned for assessment this fiscal year. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 100% | 2022 | 100% | Met |
| 2022-23 | 100% – 100% | 2023 | 100% | Met |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | ≥ 100% | 2021 | 91% 91% of substances were assessed within prescribed timelines (3,974 of 4,363 targeted). The Program target was not met due to the increased complexity of the remaining risk assessments. The remaining assessments are expected to be completed by March 2024. The Program Target is to complete the assessment of 4,363 existing substances by March 2021. | Not met |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
No indicators in the 2026-27 plan.
Future goals: targets due after 2026-27
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 80% | 2033 | — | Planned |
Spending and employees: planned against actual
Spending
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | $67.5M | $70M |
| 2019-20 | $72M | $73.7M |
| 2020-21 | $73M | $74.3M |
| 2021-22 | $38.1M | $75M |
| 2022-23 | $77.8M | $77M |
| 2023-24 | $81.8M | $92.6M |
| 2024-25 | $53M | $90.5M |
| 2025-26 | $98.5M | — |
| 2026-27 | $56.7M | — |
| 2027-28 | $51.8M* | — |
| 2028-29 | $44.6M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 572 | 443 |
| 2019-20 | 603 | 485 |
| 2020-21 | 604 | 469 |
| 2021-22 | 430 | 483 |
| 2022-23 | 599 | 484 |
| 2023-24 | 616 | 504 |
| 2024-25 | 475 | 518 |
| 2025-26 | 640 | — |
| 2026-27 | 461 | — |
| 2027-28 | 454* | — |
| 2028-29 | 410* | — |
Planned spending, plan by plan
Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans
| Plan | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 plan | $67,471,876 | $66,605,072 | $64,987,211 | ||||||||
| 2019-20 plan | $72,024,476 | $70,410,950 | $32,148,077 | ||||||||
| 2020-21 plan | $73,004,496 | $34,952,830 | $34,943,986 | ||||||||
| 2021-22 plan | $38,071,988 | $38,295,815 | $32,806,613 | ||||||||
| 2022-23 plan | $77,778,308 | $72,283,105 | $32,161,522 | ||||||||
| 2023-24 plan | $81,842,433 | $41,575,842 | $39,661,385 | ||||||||
| 2024-25 plan | $53,022,341 | $49,912,079 | $49,406,103 | ||||||||
| 2025-26 plan | $98,536,974 | $53,606,483 | $51,612,541 | ||||||||
| 2026-27 plan | $56,700,882 | $51,759,558 | $44,574,682 | ||||||||
| Actual | $70,026,992 | $73,697,353 | $74,314,811 | $74,961,173 | $76,986,501 | $92,601,858 | $90,459,251 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
