Diversity of expertise, experiences and points of view: these are the strengths of Québec’s public health network that need to be consolidated, according to Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh, Pediatrician, microbiologist-infectious disease specialist at the CHU Sainte-Justine, who spoke to the delegates on the second day of the 13^th Convention of the FIQ.

“Like you, I am a member of the health network who has seen it all”, said the full professor in the Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases, Immunology and Paediatrics at the Université de Montréal from the outset, asserting that her values and her heart would not survive elsewhere.

Recounting several episodes from her personal experience, she showed what is being achieved and what can be achieved in the public health network, while reminding us that the impression that the network is imploding is nothing new, and that together it is possible to turn it into a network that cares, prevents and brings people together.

From her medical studies, which she hated until she met her first patient, to her beginnings in an environment where it was possible to learn and to make mistakes, to her leadership positions in numerous collaborative projects, she remembers that the keys to success are dialogue, listening, collaboration, interdisciplinarity and intersectorality.

Solidarity in he face of crisis

Recalling the Ebola crisis and avian flu, Dr. Quach-Thanh explained the concept of a single health, i.e. that the environment, animals and humans are linked, and that as we all live on the same planet, solidarity is not an option.

Dr. Quach-Thanh believes that the public health network can be a tool for innovation in times of crisis. As such, after the COVID-19 pandemic, she set up the pan-Canadian POPCORN Network, a group of researcher, clinician and patient partners to answer important questions in paediatric health and be better prepared for future pandemics.

For a pediatrician and microbiologist-infectious disease specialist, there is nothing more gratifying and stimulating than developing new collaborations. In her opinion, the COVID-19 pandemic will have helped to develop an esprit de corps in the health network that will be difficult to regain. “Bonds are fragile in the face of normalcy. Walls are back, and we can’t wait for the next pandemic to start talking to each other.”

Situation in the United States, cause for concern

According to Dr. Quach-Thanh, Canadian scientists and caregivers  will have to face up to the worrying state of research in the United States. Preserving an environment where science prevails, where diversity is an asset and where violence has no place will be essential.

The United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization will force the other member countries to become more involved, particularly in implementing the recent Global Agreement on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response. As Dr. Quach-Thanh reminds us, while the experts can share their knowledge, the decisions rest with the government, and caregivers must be the eyes of their elected representatives in the field to ensure that the network is ready to deal with a new pandemic.