A large number of domestic and foreign animal diseases with zoonotic health impacts to humans must be managed carefully to prevent disease transmission and spread. Risk management decisions often involve the comparison of different types of risk and the cost-effectiveness of different control measures for reducing risk. This requires that different types of risk be assessed in a consistent manner to allow cross-comparisons. The use of disability adjusted life years (DALYs) as a measure of the burden of human disease from domestic and foreign animal pathogens was completed for several zoonoses in Canada.

Authorities in Vietnam sought targeted expertise to strengthen the country’s ability to detect, assess, and respond to food safety threats. This initiative had two linked objectives: building a comprehensive, transparent, and reliable national food safety information system, and enhancing risk assessment (RA) capacity at national and sub-national levels. For the information system component, the work…

The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) commissioned a systematic review and meta-analysis to support evidence-informed decision-making around age-related cognitive decline among practicing physicians. The initiative was led by CPSA’s Physician Health Monitoring Program (PHMP), which sought to ensure continued competence and public safety in the context of an aging medical workforce.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), through its Spectrum Management Innovation Directorate, sought support in applying risk-based decision making (RBDM) across its compliance and enforcement responsibilities. The department was looking for a structured and data-driven approach to prioritize regulatory actions in a way that reflects risks to the public interest.

To support international efforts in mitigating deliberate threats to the food system, the World Health Organization commissioned an update to its earlier guidance titled Terrorist Threats to Food. The revision aimed to broaden the original scope by addressing not only intentional acts, such as food terrorism, but also a wider array of systemic risks—ranging from pandemics to geopolitical disruptions—that could compromise global food safety.

The Alliance of Blood Operators (ABO) needed a coherent risk management framework to guide decision-making on the delivery of blood services by its member organizations, which would help produce consistent decision-making processes and outcomes across the different national jurisdictional and regulatory structures. The RBDM approach was meant to support a shift in risk decision-making in national blood services organizations from one focused on minimizing all risks to blood quality and supply, with little concern for costs, to a risk-based approach in which resources are allocated according to risk and the application of financial resources and management rigour is proportional to the risk they are addressing.

In response to public and ministerial concerns about the timeliness and adequacy of information shared during a major prescription drug recall, Health Canada commissioned an independent review to assess its response to the event. The situation involved a recall of the oral contraceptive Alysena, issued due to packaging issues that altered the intended dosing sequence and raised questions about potential unintended health risks.

An international airport authority sought a comprehensive assessment of passenger and vehicle traffic flow after receiving complaints of confusion and safety concerns. Reports indicated that passengers were struggling to interpret signage, often stopping too long to process graphics, which caused line-ups and delays. Lighting problems compounded the issue, with signs placed in poorly illuminated areas.…

To enhance the effectiveness of health product risk communications, a systematic evaluation was requested to assess the performance of key instruments used to disseminate safety and efficacy information. The aim was to support efforts under the Evaluating the Effectiveness of Risk Communications (EERC) initiative by identifying methodologies and metrics that could measure how well these tools reach their intended audience, how clearly messages are conveyed, and what impact they have on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours.

To support the evaluation of a new veterinary pharmaceutical product intended for use in bovines, a scientific review was requested of submitted toxicological data related to the active compound LY488756. This compound, proposed under the product name Experior, had been advanced for registration based on its claimed selective action on β3-adrenergic receptors and a lack of mutagenic, carcinogenic, or teratogenic effects. Given its potential entry into the human food supply via meat residues, an independent expert analysis of the submission was deemed necessary to determine its safety.