The team supports the director of Public Health in his tasks of disease prevention, health promotion, information for the public, monitoring of the population’s state of health and its determining factors, and particularly the field of health protection. Threats to health can arise from physical, chemical or biological agents related to environmental contamination (water, air, soil), technological accidents or criminal or terrorist acts.
The team responds to reports from various interveners of the health network, other organizations or ministries such as the Kativik Regional Government and the Kativik School Board, the municipalities and the public concerning exposure to environmental risk factors. It maintains a constant duty roster (24/7) in order to be able to respond at all times to emergencies of an environmental nature. As needed, it conducts epidemiological investigations and issues health advisories in areas such as contamination of indoor and outdoor air, drinking water, water in swimming pools and traditional foods, as well as sanitary conditions, industrial pollution, waste management and so forth.