Public Health Agency of Canada Expert Panel on Mpox in Canada: Terms of reference

Context

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) Expert Panel on Mpox (previously referred to as monkeypox) was first established in 2022 to engage scientific expertise, share the best available evidence, and identify outstanding gaps in knowledge needed to inform public health response.

Beginning in May 2022, cases of mpox were reported from countries where the disease is not endemic; most confirmed cases with travel history reported travel to countries in Europe and North America, rather than West or Central Africa where the mpox virus is endemic, and domestic transmission was largely associated with close or sexual contact. The 2022 outbreak was the first time that many mpox cases and clusters were reported concurrently in non-endemic and endemic countries, in disparate geographical areas.

An outbreak of mpox associated with clade I MPXV has been escalating in central Africa since 2023; this outbreak is associated with the detection of a novel sub-lineage of clade I (clade Ib), which was first detected in the eastern province of South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), around September 2023. The outbreak in Africa is distinct from the global MPXV clade IIb outbreak that began in 2022 and which continues to circulate at low levels in Europe and globally. In response to the mpox outbreak in the DRC and several neighbouring countries, on August 14, 2024, the WHO Director General declared a new public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

In the 2022 outbreak, PHAC's Chief Public Health Officer of Canada (CPHO) and the Chief Science Officer (CSO) convened a panel of experts and public health partners to inform Agency responses to mpox (previously referred to as monkeypox) and the evolving science and research agendas. PHAC convened regular meetings of the panel between May and November of 2022, and resumed in August 2024 in response to the PHEIC.

Mandate and objectives

The mandate of the PHAC expert panel meetings is to engage scientific and public health expertise from diverse disciplinary perspectives (from laboratory through to behavioural and social sciences) and knowledge to best inform the Canadian public health response to mpox.

The objective is to inform the Canadian public health response to mpox. Specific objectives for each meeting will be developed, based on the current transmission, preparedness, and outbreak scenarios as well as public health information needs. Meeting objectives will be communicated via an agenda.

Approach

The PHAC expert panel will share information via regularly scheduled meetings to be coordinated by the Office of the Chief Science Officer. Meetings will occur once per month, or as needed according to the situation, and will be scheduled for 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on agenda. Speakers will be identified according to the objectives of the meeting and asked to prepare presentations as needed. Materials will be shared with participants as attachments to the meeting invitation, for review prior to the meeting. Meetings are expected to take place virtually, with potential to meet in-person in the future.

Scope and expected outcomes

To assess progress in addressing knowledge needs and evidence gaps, and to facilitate collaborations across jurisdictions and disciplines, this panel will consider previous exchanges on the evidence base to inform public health guidance, global research questions, and local community needs and opportunities for engagement.

This panel will focus on the state of science and the emerging evidence for mpox. While this knowledge could inform the development of, and updates to, public health and clinical guidance, the production of guidance products are outside of the scope of this group.

The expected outcomes of this panel are scientific advice that can be used to inform the development of a PHAC horizontal science plan for mpox, establishment of cross-disciplinary collaborations and networks, and records of meeting discussions that include actionable items for accountable parties.

Membership

Membership on the PHAC expert panel is by invitation. Selection criteria are based on:

Professional roles and areas of expertise relevant to the public health response to mpox
Jurisdiction (e.g., federal, provincial, and territorial)
Sector (e.g., government or academia)
Discipline (e.g., clinical medicine, medical countermeasures, diagnostics, surveillance, Indigenous health, One Health interface)
Geographical diversity

Subgroups may be formed to address topics of specialized interest and expertise.

Membership is expected to change based on the context of the outbreak and according to the topics on the agenda.

The need for the PHAC expert panel will be assessed on a periodic basis, with members consulted on the duration of the terms for the group and requirements for dissolution.

Roles and responsibilities

Chief Public Health Officer of Canada

Guide and advise on topics of discussion from a public health perspective.
Engage relevant professionals for membership to this expert panel.

PHAC Chief Science Officer

Guide and advise on topics of discussion from a public health research and science perspective.
Chair and manage expert panel meetings.
Engage relevant professionals for membership to this expert panel.
As the research lead for PHAC's Incident Management Structure (IMS), the Chief Science Officer is accountable for ensuring activities, including the convening of this expert panel, align with any IMS response plans.
Report to the PHAC executive committee and other relevant bodies as needed.

Office of the Chief Science Officer

Provide coordination functions for the expert panel.
Prepare summaries of discussions.
Incorporate knowledge exchanged into PHAC's horizontal science plan for mpox.
Disseminate any developments and relevant information to PHAC's program areas (including the Emerging Science Group) as needed.
Liaise with federal, provincial and territorial stakeholders and the IMS structure to ensure activities are captured in any IMS response plans.

Vice President for the Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Programs Branch

Engage relevant professionals for membership to this expert panel.
Guide and advise on topics of discussion.

Expert panel members

Share knowledge on emerging mpox science, key gaps and research needs.
Contribute to and validate the record of discussion as needed.
Offer expert opinion on specific topics for which advice is being sought.

Federal intramural experts

Technical participants from federal departments and agencies, including PHAC, will be invited to expert panel meetings on topics relevant to their areas of expertise.
Share knowledge on emerging science relevant to mpox.
Observe and report back to their organization regarding expert opinions relevant to their work.
Promote interdepartmental collaboration.

Other participants and observers

Observers and participants from other organizations and institutions not covered above may be invited to expert panel meetings on topics relevant to their areas of expertise.

Media and communications

All media requests related to the PHAC expert panel should be directed to the Communications and Public Affairs Branch at media@hc-sc.gc.ca who will work with the Office of the Chief Science Officer to answer the requests.

The PHAC expert panel terms of reference and membership will be posted online.

Reporting

The Chief Public Health Officer of Canada and the Chief Science Officer report jointly to PHAC's executive committee on outcomes of the PHAC expert panel meetings as needed.

The Chief Science Officer reports to the PHAC expert panel via record of meeting discussions, by feeding back to the group any actions resulting from discussions and recommendations made at the PHAC expert panel meetings.

Outcomes of the PHAC expert panel meetings may be shared with provincial and territorial partners via the Public Health Network and Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health, and to appropriate federal government departments as deemed necessary.

In the event a federal IMS is activated for mpox, the Office of the Chief Science Officer reports activities and outcomes of the meetings to the Health Portfolio Executive Group, IMS event manager, and planning groups (e.g., IMS stakeholder engagement).

Confidentiality, affiliations and interests declaration

Opinions expressed during the PHAC expert panel meetings do not reflect PHAC endorsement of any activity or plan.

Detailed records of discussions and all materials presented are meant solely for the members of the PHAC expert panel. Materials marked confidential should be treated as such. Members wishing to share any of the materials produced should submit a request to the Office of the Chief Science Officer. Where granted, onward forwarding of the materials should include a confidentiality disclaimer. To promote open discussion while respecting confidentiality, meetings will be conducted under the Chatham House Rule (participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed).

Summaries of Discussion will be prepared for public posting on Canada.ca, and all members will have the opportunity to review and provide approval prior to posting.

PHAC expert panel members will be asked to serve in an individual expert capacity and are not meant to specifically represent any:

Governments
Commercial industries or entities
Academic, research, or civil society organizations
Other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations

Members are asked to complete an Affiliations and Interests Declaration Form. As a condition of appointment, panel members agree to allow PHAC to publish on its website a summary of their affiliations and interests. All panel members will have the opportunity to review their content for accuracy before it is published.

Panel participants and observers may also be asked to complete the Affiliations and Interests Declaration Form.

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Date modified:: 2024-12-06

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