Sheela Basrur

Sheela Basrur

Earned Respect Around the World for Handling of the SARS Crisis

Dr. Sheela Basrur served as the Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto before becoming Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and Assistant Deputy Minister of Public Health. Dr. Basrur introduced Ontario’s groundbreaking Smoke-Free legislation, which passed in 2006 and was instrumental in the creation of the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion, Ontario’s first arm’s-length public health agency, in 2007. In 2008, the headquarters of this agency was named the Sheela Basrur Centre. Dr. Basrur’s 2005 report to the Ontario Legislature frankly told of the challenges and work required to rebuild the Ontario public health system. She also released a major report on childhood obesity but it was Dr. Basrur’s skilled handling of the SARS crisis that earned her the respect of public health colleagues in Ontario, across North American and around the world. Dr. Basrur made many long-lasting contributions to the practice of public health in addressing the broad determinants through health promotion and health protection. Dr. Sheela Basrur was awarded CPHA’s Honorary Life Membership in 2004.

(CPHA Health Digest, Vol. 28, No. 2, Summer 2004 and www.sheelabasrurcentre.ca)