Ontario Public Health Standards: Requirements for programs, services, and accountability

Overview

The OPHS (PDF) identify the minimum expectations for public health programs and services to be delivered by Ontario's 34 boards of health/public health units. The OPHS are published by the Minister of Health as outlined in Section 7 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act. Boards of health/public health units are accountable for implementing the OPHS including the protocols and guidelines that are referenced within.

The OPHS includes the following sections:

• defining the work that public health does, which includes the Foundational and Program Standards
• strengthened accountability, which includes the Public Health Accountability Framework and Organizational Requirements
• transparency and demonstrating impact, which includes the Public Health Indicator Framework for Program Outcomes and Contributions to Population Health Outcomes and Transparency Framework: Disclosure and Reporting Requirements

The protocols and guidelines are program and topic-specific documents referenced within the OPHS. They provide direction on how boards of health/public health units must deliver or approach specific OPHS requirements. Reference documents provide additional information and best practices to assist public health professionals in the delivery of public health programs and services. Boards of health/public health units are not required to follow reference documents.

Protocols

Protocols provide direction to boards of health/public health units on how to operationalize specific requirement(s) within the OPHS (PDF). The aim is to have consistent implementation of specific requirements across all boards of health/public health units. The protocols referenced in the OPHS are:

• Child Visual Health and Vision Screening Protocol, 2018 (PDF)
• Consumption and Treatment Services Compliance and Enforcement Protocol, 2024 (PDF)
• Food Safety Protocol, 2019 (PDF)
• Health Hazard Response Protocol, 2019 (PDF)
• Healthy Babies, Healthy Children Program Protocol, 2018 (PDF)
• Immunization for Children in Schools and Licensed Child Care Settings Protocol, 2018 (PDF)
• Infection Prevention and Control Complaint Protocol, 2022 (PDF)
• Infection Prevention and Control Disclosure Protocol, 2022 (PDF)
• Infection Prevention and Control Protocol, 2019 (PDF)
• Infectious Diseases Protocol, 2023 (PDF)
• Institutional/Facility Outbreak Management Protocol, 2023 (PDF)
• Menu Labelling Protocol, 2024 (PDF)
• Oral Health Protocol, 2021 (PDF)
• Population Health Assessment and Surveillance Protocol, 2018 (PDF)
• Qualifications for Public Health Professionals Protocol, 2018 (PDF)
• Rabies Prevention and Control Protocol, 2023 (PDF)
• Recreational Water Protocol, 2019 (PDF)
• Safe Drinking Water and Fluoride Monitoring Protocol, 2023 (PDF)
• Sexual Health and Sexually Transmitted/Blood-Borne Infections Prevention and Control Protocol, 2019 (PDF)
• Tanning Beds Protocol, 2019 (PDF)
• Tobacco, Vapour and Smoke Protocol, 2021 (PDF)
• Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Protocol, 2018 (PDF)
• Vaccine Storage and Handling Protocol, 2018 (PDF)

Infectious diseases protocol

The Infectious diseases protocol 2023 (PDF) includes: Appendix 1 — Case Definitions and Disease Specific Information for the following diseases of public health significance.

To access Appendix 1 for a specific disease, click on the hyperlinks to expand the list below.

Guidelines

Guidelines provide direction to boards of health/public health units on how to approach specific requirement(s) within the OPHS (PDF). The aim is to provide a consistent approach in the implementation of requirements across all boards of health/public health units, while also allowing for variability in programs and services based on local contextual factors as defined in the guidelines. The guidelines referenced in the OPHS, are:

• Chronic Disease Prevention Guideline, 2018 (PDF)
• Emergency Management Guideline, 2024 (PDF)
• Health Equity Guideline, 2018 (PDF)
• Healthy Environments and Climate Change Guideline, 2018 (PDF)
• Healthy Growth and Development Guideline, 2018 (PDF)
• Injury Prevention Guideline, 2018 (PDF)
• Management of Avian Chlamydiosis in Birds Guideline, 2019 (PDF)
• Management of Avian Influenza or Novel Influenza in Birds or Animals Guideline, 2024 (PDF)
• Management of Echinococcus Multilocularis Infections in Animals Guideline, 2019 (PDF)
• Management of Potential Rabies Exposures Guideline, 2020 (PDF)
• Mental Health Promotion Guideline, 2018 (PDF)
• Operational Approaches for Food Safety Guideline, 2019 (PDF)
• Operational Approaches for Recreational Water Guideline, 2018 (PDF)
• Personal Service Settings Guideline, 2019 (PDF)
• Relationship with Indigenous Communities Guideline, 2018 (PDF)
• School Health Guideline, 2018 (PDF)
• Small Drinking Water Systems Risk Assessment Guideline, 2018 (PDF)
• Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction Guideline, 2018 (PDF)
• Tobacco, Vapour and Smoke Guideline, 2021 (PDF)
• Tuberculosis Program Guideline, 2023 (PDF)

Reference documents

Reference documents are are topic-specific documents that provide information and best practices to assist those working in local boards of health/public health units to implement the OPHS, protocols and guidelines. Boards of health/public health units are not required to follow reference documents.

• Botulism Guide for Health Care Professionals (PDF)
• Food Donation Supplemental Materials (PDF)
• Food Premises Reference Document (PDF)
• Monitoring Food Affordability Reference Document (PDF)
• Ontario’s Foodborne Illness Outbreak Response Protocol (ON-FIORP), 2023 (PDF)
• Recommendations for Floatation Tanks, 2019 (PDF)
• Recommendations for the Management of Animals in Child Care Settings (PDF)
• Recommendations for the Management of Cases and Contacts of MPOX in Ontario (PDF)
• Recommendations for Outbreak Prevention and Control in Institutions and Congregate Living Settings (PDF)
• Recommendations to Prevent Disease and Injury Associated with Petting Zoos in Ontario (PDF)
• Recreational Water Reference Document, 2019 (PDF)
• Reference Document for Safe Food Donation (PDF)
• Roles and Responsibilities of Hospitals and Public Health Units for Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI) Reporting and Outbreak Management (PDF)
• Vaccine Storage and Handling Guidelines (PDF)
• West Nile Virus Preparedness and Prevention Plan (PDF)

Disclaimer

If you require this information in an alternative format, please contact OPHS.Protocols.moh@ontario.ca. We will:

• acknowledge your request within three business days
• provide you with the content within 15 business days