What do we do with the SARS reports?

The magnitude of the SARS disaster led to the establishment of several commissions and inquiries, whose reports are now available. While the reports were triggered by SARS, and focus on many issues arising from SARS, they all clearly acknowledge that concerns regarding public health in this country are long-standing. Virtually every report on the future of our health system has identified the need for investment in public health, disease prevention and health promotion as a key to sustaining our healthcare system. Yet, these earlier recommendations have been largely ignored. We can only hope that with the magnitude of the SARS disaster still relatively fresh in our minds, we will not ignore these new reports.