 n January 1992, the Canadian Global Change Program of the Royal Society of Canada established a Panel on Health Issues related to global environmental changes. The terms of reference for the Panel included the following elements:
- To review the current state of knowledge about health effects of global change with particular reference to Canada.
- To identify gaps in knowledge, key information and communication.
- To set priorities for research aimed at closing gaps, and make recommendations to Canadian Health research funding agencies.
- To establish and maintain networks of research workers on aspects of global change with implications for health, both within Canada and elsewhere.
- To produce reports for distribution to the CGCP Research Committee and other specialized research committees and panels of the CGCP.
- To prepare a document for general distribution on the health implications of global change for Canadians.
 As for all CGCP's Panels, the goal was not to undertake new research but to come to a reasoned judgement, based on the existing literature and on the knowledge of the health community, about the likely implications of global ecological change for human health. Panel members were chosen to represent a broad spectrum of the health research community in Canada.
Panel members first met in January 1992 to discuss the terms of reference, goals and objectives. It was then agreed that the emphasis of the Panel's work was to be on defining research priorities although all agreed that policy issues were extremely important. A framework for health related Global Change Research was then prepared and circulated to research workers, health science faculty deans and research directors, chief executive officers of research councils, and other key individuals. This survey showed a high degree of agreement among respondents. A second round for this Delphi-like survey took place in September 1993. A preliminary Table of Contents was then produced and Panel members were assigned various sections of the report. An independent consultant was hired to assemble and integrate all the material in a draft version that was circulated for final comments and revisions.
Over the period of a little more than two years of the panel's existence, panel members met on a number of occasions as well as exchanging comments by mail and telephone. In addition, in June 1993, representatives of the Research Councils, of the International Development Research Centre and of the Health Protection Branch of Health and Welfare Canada met the Panel members to discuss research priorities and funding problems. These activities, combined with the results of the surveys formed the basis for this report and for the recommendations it contains.
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