Building capacity for risk factor surveillance in developed countries: the need for a vision-driven approach: lessons learned from the Canadian experience.

This paper examines the question of capacity building for risk factor surveillance in developed countries, with reference to the Canadian experience. Special attention is accorded the issue of building capacity for utilization of surveillance information. The paper describes the development, evolution and current status of risk factor surveillance in Canada. It notes that there is evidence of ongoing improvement in surveillance capacities over the past 20 years, but that there remains considerable room for improvement--particularly in relation to building capacity for the utilization of surveillance information. A vision-driven approach to capacity building is recommended and described building upon concepts and principles followed by international organizations addressing analogous issues.