# The role of government in public health and public health crises: A perspective from Alberta

## TL;DR

The paper examines how the Alberta government's control over public health affected responses to crises like the pandemic and suggests better policy approaches.

## Contribution

The paper offers a new perspective on government roles in public health through Alberta's experiences and policy analysis.

## Key findings

- Alberta's government increased control over public health during the pandemic.
- Social determinants of health were not adequately addressed in policy decisions.
- A Health in All Policies approach is recommended for better public health outcomes.

## Abstract

Public health leaders and programs have played an important role in Alberta’s response to major health events, including COVID-19. We discuss how the Alberta provincial government has exerted increasing control over public health functions in the province, and how this played out over the course of the pandemic and beyond. Given the significant role that the social determinants of health play in shaping the health of the population, we also discuss how successive governments have approached policy and investment in public health. Using our experiences, we discuss a more effective role for government in a public health crisis, and in the health of the public more broadly. We advocate for a Health in All Policies approach to government decision-making and a move towards focusing on evidence rather than ideology.