Eileen de Villa | |
---|---|
5th Toronto Medical Officer of Health | |
Assumed office March 27, 2017 | |
Preceded by | David McKeown |
Peel Region Medical Officer of Health | |
In office October 2015 –March 2017 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 1969 (age 54–55) Boston,Massachusetts,U.S. |
Children | 3 |
Residence(s) | Toronto,Ontario,Canada |
Alma mater | McGill University,BSc (1991) University of Toronto,MD,MHSc (1998) Schulich School of Business,MBA |
Eileen Patricia de Villa is a Canadian physician and public servant who has served as Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto since 2017,leading the Toronto Public Health unit.
She is an adjunct professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. De Villa is most well known for her role in Toronto's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was formerly the medical officer of health for Peel Region.
De Villa is the daughter of cardiologist Dr. Maria Antonina "Nenette" de Villa and obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Guillermo "Jun" de Villa. She was born in Boston,Massachusetts,and briefly lived in the Philippines between 1972 and 1975 before her family fled to Canada. [1] Her parents were both influential in the Filipino community in Toronto,laying the groundwork for what is now the Filipino Centre Toronto. [2]
She attended Havergal College then McGill University,where she received her bachelor of science (BSc) degree in psychology and women's studies in 1991. [3] When she graduated,she became an intern at the United Nations,moving to Vienna to work with the UN Industrial Development Organization supporting developing countries. [1] Through that experience,she became interested in international health. [2]
She then received her master of health science (MHSc) degree in health promotion at the University of Toronto and continued securing internships through the United Nations,including one with the International Conference on Population and Development. [1]
De Villa then decided to go to medical school,receiving her doctor of medicine (MD) degree from the University of Toronto in 1998. She completed her residency in family medicine in 2000 and in community medicine (public health) in 2004. [4] She later received a master of business administration (MBA) degree from the Schulich School of Business at York University. [1]
De Villa has worked as a public health physician since 2004,for the Region of Peel from 2004 to 2017 (including as medical officer of health) and City of Toronto since 2017,serving as the medical officer of health.
De Villa sits on the McGill Women,Leadership &Philanthropy Board,working to increase the representation of women in positions of leadership,governance,and philanthropy. [3]
In 2004,de Villa began her almost thirteen year tenure at the Regional Municipality of Peel Office of Health,where she ultimately became the medical officer of health,serving from October 2015 to March 2017. There,she worked on a number of public health issues,including vaccination and prevention of communicable diseases,such as sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis. She also oversaw the region's air quality and food and water safety. [1] In 2016,de Villa offered a job as Associate Medical Officer of Health to Dr. Lawrence Loh,who later took over her position at Peel Region. [5]
On March 27,2017,de Villa began her term as the medical officer of health at Toronto Public Health following the retirement of David McKeown. [6] She was appointed for her evidence-based approach to public health. [7]
She has worked to combat the opioid epidemic in Toronto,advocating for a series of policies to expand public health services. Her recommended policies include the creation of a safer drug supply to reduce the need to buy drugs off the street,better support for under-served populations,and decriminalizing drugs. [8] In 2019,she pushed back against budget cuts proposed by the Progressive Conservative government of Premier Doug Ford,which would limit the city's resources for fighting the opioid crisis and other public health programs. [7] She has also criticized the province for defunding supervised injection sites,which have reversed a significant number of overdoses since opening.
Under her leadership,Toronto Public Health has worked to combat misinformation around vaccine safety and has advocated for advertisers and social media platforms to clamp down on misleading anti-vaccination information. [9] She was also behind the call to ban vaccine exemptions because of religious or philosophical beliefs,though the government would still allow medical exemptions. [9] [10] Toronto has seen a steady rise of such exemptions and are working to proactively prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
As Medical Officer of Health, de Villa has been leading the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto since the city saw its first case of COVID-19 on January 25, 2020. [11]
In April 2020, de Villa initially used her authority under section 22 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act to order all individuals with COVID-19—as well as those who have been in contact with confirmed cases—to remain home for 14 days. [12] Throughout the COVID-19 response, she has advised Mayor John Tory on measures the municipal government could take, such as declaring a state of emergency [13] [14] —which allows the mayor to assume the powers of Toronto City Council and expedite legislation—introducing a physical distancing bylaw in parks, [15] and advised City Council to pass a bylaw mandating face masks. [16]
While COVID-19 case numbers remained stable throughout the summer, in September 2020 de Villa warned of a resurgence in cases based on data from other jurisdictions, [17] urging provincial and municipal leaders to develop new measures for the coming months. [18] On September 29, Premier Doug Ford conceded that the province was experiencing a second wave and began to study implementing a new restrictions framework. [19]
The provincial government began loosening restrictions in March 2021, with de Villa expressing concerns regarding the growing presence of COVID-19 variants in the city and urging caution. [20] De Villa urged the province to enhance its measures, [21] and amidst a rapid increase in cases and growing ICU occupancy in April 2021, the provincial government issued a new stay-at-home order on April 8. De Villa warned that the rate of daily cases may outpace the ability to roll out vaccines, and that the city remained at risk, [22] even with new restrictions. [23] [24] She issued a section 22 order on April 6, closing Toronto schools from April 7 to April 19, a day after Dr. Lawrence Loh of the Region of Peel issued a similar order for its schools. [25] The Ontario government shortly ordered all schools closed province-wide, following a record number of cases, just a day after education minister Stephen Lecce insisted schools remained safe. [26] The province took further action on April 16, announcing new restrictions and enhanced enforcement measures. [27] On April 20, in conjunction with Peel Region's public health unit, Toronto Public Health announced that de Villa would issue section 22 orders to close workplaces with active COVID-19 outbreaks. [28] [29] [30] De Villa and Loh also called on the Ford government to restore paid sick leave, which would reduce income disruption for workers isolating due to COVID-19. [31]
On December 7, 2021, de Villa announced that she would be taking a leave of absence until December 20 in order to have surgery to address a mass of pre-cancerous cells, initially discovered following a mammogram she had in the summer. Deputy Medical Officer of Health Dr. Na-Koshie Lamptey will serve as Medical Officer of Health during her absence. De Villa took the opportunity to encourage others to ensure they keep up with routine health screenings to catch problems early. [32] [33]
On May 14, 2024, she announced that she will resign from her Toronto Medical Officer of Health position on December 31, 2024. [34]
The COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario was a viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Canada was announced on January 25, 2020, involving a traveller who had recently returned to Toronto from travel in China, including Wuhan. Ontario has had the largest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among Canada's provinces and territories, but due to having the largest population, only ranks sixth adjusted per capita. Ontario surpassed one million lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases on January 24, 2022; one day before the anniversary of the first confirmed case on January 25, 2020.
Bonnie J. Fraser Henry is a Canadian physician and public servant who has been the provincial health officer at the British Columbia Ministry of Health since 2014. Henry is also a clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia. She is a specialist in public health and preventive medicine, and is a family doctor. In her role as provincial health officer, Henry notably led the response to COVID-19 in British Columbia (BC).
Allison Joan McGeer is a Canadian infectious disease specialist in the Sinai Health System, and a professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto. She also appointed at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a Senior Clinician Scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, and is a partner of the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases. McGeer has led investigations into the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in Toronto and worked alongside Donald Low. During the COVID-19 pandemic, McGeer has studied how SARS-CoV-2 survives in the air and has served on several provincial committees advising aspects of the Government of Ontario's pandemic response.
Kami Kandola is an Indo-Canadian physician and the Chief Public Health Officer for the Northwest Territories, Canada. She is trained in family medicine, public health, and preventive medicine. Kandola has overseen the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Northwest Territories.
The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The pandemic has affected the Cities of Mississauga and Brampton, and the Town of Caledon, within the Regional Municipality of Peel. As part of the larger closure decisions in Ontario, a stay-at-home order shuttered all nonessential businesses, and caused event cancellations.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto is a viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), localized in Toronto. Toronto is the most populous city in Canada, and the fourth most populous city in North America.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Ottawa is part of the global ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Ottawa is the fourth most populous city in Canada, the second largest city in Ontario, and the capital city of Canada.
The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario throughout 2020.
Jennifer Kwan is a Canadian family physician and health care advocate, with work primarily based around the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario.
Heather Morrison is a Canadian emergency room physician who serves as the Chief Public Health Officer for Prince Edward Island. She was the first woman to receive the Rhodes Scholarship in the Prince Edward Island region, and was named The Guardian’s Newsmaker of the Year in 2020.
Janice Fitzgerald ONL is a Canadian family physician. Since September 2019, she currently serves as Newfoundland and Labrador's Chief Medical Officer of Health, and has provided public health guidance to lead the province during the COVID-19 pandemic in Newfoundland and Labrador.
David Cecil Williams is a Canadian physician and public servant who served as Chief Medical Officer of Health for the province of Ontario from 2015 to 2021. He served as acting Chief Medical Officer of Health for the province from 2007 to 2009 and again from 2015 to 2016 until taking the position permanently. He previously held the role of Medical Officer of Health for the Thunder Bay District health unit.
Dr. Shelley Deeks, MD, MHSc, FRCPC, FFAFPM, is a Canadian public health expert who is the chair of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. Her advertised "specialities include communicable disease control, outbreak investigations, vaccine safety, epidemiology and program evaluation." She is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada and the Australian Faculty of Public Health Medicine. Deeks was the executive lead in Ontario's COVID-19 pandemic response in 2020 in her role at Public Health Ontario.
Christopher Saccoccia, widely referred to as Chris Sky, is a Canadian social media personality known for his involvement in the anti-mask, anti-lockdown, COVID-19 denial and anti-vaccine movements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Saccoccia faces a number of legal issues and criminal charges including for allegations of uttering death threats against Ontario Premier Doug Ford and other public figures and for assault of a police officer, among others. Saccoccia ran for Mayor of Toronto in the 2023 by-election, placing ninth.
Kieran Michael Moore is a Canadian physician and public servant who serves as the current chief medical officer of health of Ontario. Prior to his appointment, he served as the medical officer of health for Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington from 2017 to 2021.
Naheed Dosani is a palliative care physician based in Ontario, Canada, who founded and leads the Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless (PEACH) program. For his efforts in providing mobile healthcare to individuals with vulnerable housing or are homeless, Dosani has received a Meritorious Service Cross from the Governor General of Canada (2017), and a Canadian Medical Association Award for Young Leaders (2020).
Lawrence C. Loh is a Canadian physician best known for having served as Medical Officer of Health for the Regional Municipality of Peel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anna Banerji M.D., O. Ont. is a Toronto infectious disease doctor, tropical disease specialist, pediatrician, public health specialist, academic, and activist. She is the founder and chair of both the North American Refugee Health Conference in Canada and the Indigenous Health Conference, and the co-founder of the Society of Refugee Healthcare Providers. She was awarded the Dr Peter Bryce Henderson for her advocacy for Indigenous children.
COVID-19 vaccination in Ontario began in December 2020, when the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine were administered. In February 2021, shipments for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines increased significantly. By May 2021, over 50 percent of Ontarians had received their first dose. By the beginning of 2022, over 80 percent of Ontarians had received their first dose.
The following had been the provincial governmental response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario.