The House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research met on October 8, 2025, to study antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The witnesses were Dr. Victor Leung, a physician; Dr. Allison McGeer, a professor at the University of Toronto; Dr. Simon Otto, an associate professor at the University of Alberta; Jenna Sauve, an antimicrobial stewardship pharmacotherapy specialist; and Dr. Scott Weese, a professor at the University of Guelph and director of the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses.
Dr. Victor Leung testified that Canada is falling behind other G7 countries in access to antimicrobials, and he called for modernizing Health Canada's special access program to reduce administrative burden. He recommended a hub-and-spoke model coordinated between federal and provincial governments to ensure timely access to high-value antimicrobials, and he emphasized the need to improve surveillance systems by aggregating fragmented data and making it more timely. He also highlighted the importance of prevention through innovative approaches like treatment-as-prevention strategies, drawing on Canada's success with HIV.
Dr. Allison McGeer argued that AMR is accelerating and harming patients, and she warned that current efforts are insufficient, comparing the situation to climate change. She stressed that prevention, particularly through vaccines and infection control in hospitals, is critical and that Canada needs a national vaccine strategy against AMR. She also called for a national conversation on reducing transmission of resistant organisms in health care facilities, noting that veterinary and agricultural sectors are ahead of human health in addressing AMR.
Dr. Simon Otto emphasized that tackling AMR requires a holistic one health approach that includes prevention and antimicrobial stewardship, and he argued that drug development alone will not solve the problem. He noted that Canada's surveillance systems have large gaps, including a lack of animal pathogen surveillance and no AMR surveillance in companion animals, and he called for substantial investment in resources, expertise and infrastructure to expand and improve surveillance across human, animal and environmental health.
Jenna Sauve testified that one in four infections is now resistant to first-line antibiotics and that an estimated 15% to 25% of antibiotic prescriptions in Canada are unnecessary. She highlighted the need for better diagnostic methods, funding for stewardship initiatives in community settings, and enhanced training for health professionals, and she noted that Canada lacks market access to many critical antibiotics, requiring better incentives for pharmaceutical companies to bring them to market.
Dr. Scott Weese argued that AMR is a complex problem that requires action-based approaches and that one health should not be a barrier to action. He stressed that innovation in animal health should focus on improving animal management, nutrition, vaccines and access to veterinary care rather than new drugs, and he called for better, actionable surveillance data and sustained funding. He noted that Canada has lost ground internationally in coordinated AMR efforts and that the pan-Canadian action plan needs funding and implementation.
During the meeting, members questioned witnesses about the impact of the opioid epidemic on AMR, the state of waste-water surveillance, the role of vaccines and vaccine hesitancy, and the effects of health care system strain on antibiotic use. Witnesses agreed on the need for better coordination and funding but differed on specific approaches, with Dr. Weese cautioning against over-focusing on one health at the expense of sector-specific action. The committee also experienced technical difficulties with interpretation, which were noted by members. No procedural motions or votes were recorded.
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