Funding gaps are already making it difficult for Ottawa Public Health to meet growing community needs and invest in health-care prevention, but a public health emergency would make the situation worse, OPH is warning.

Among other things, OPH is unable to comply with Ontario Public Health standards when it comes to inspections and some infectious disease cases and contact management for “lower impact diseases of public health significance.”

For months, public health officials have been warning of growing funding gaps and their possible consequences. Ottawa’s Board of Health agreed to ask the province for an additional $450,000 in one-time funding to address urgent 2026 budget pressures as it tabled its $88.5 million 2026 budget.

At its Nov. 3 meeting, the Board of Health heard that the Ministry of Health is not coming close to meeting its commitment of covering 75 per cent of the cost of programs that are mandated for public health units. That includes disease monitoring and outbreak management, immunization programs, health promotion and more.