On Nov. 20, Public Health Sudbury & Districts approved a $32,029,390 budget for the upcoming year.
The budget marks a 3.2-per-cent increase from their 2025 total of $31,036,499.
Describing it as the “smallest growth” budget in three years, the 2026 budget maintains services through the year and also includes a $2,413,088 expenditure for in technology, a necessity, the health unit said in a news release, to improve efficiency and maintain sustainability of services in the wake of ongoing provincial funding constraints.
“Over the last 10 years, we’ve seen an 18-per-cent decrease in funding when adjusted for inflation,” said Mark Signoretti, chair of the Board of Health for Public Health Sudbury & Districts. “As Public Health strives to deliver on the growing needs of the community during this period of fiscal constraint, our top priority remains to support innovation and excellent service delivery in a sustainable and affordable way, so we can help people live healthier lives.”
Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Mustafa Hirji the lack of adequate provincial funding forces the Public Health Sudbury to spend more on technology.
“With growing pressures across many health issues, including the complex toxic drug crisis and resurging infections, life expectancy has declined in Canada in recent years, a stark change from two centuries of almost continuous growth,” Hirji said in the news release. “The need for Public Health’s work is clear. In the absence of adequate provincial funding, we need to leverage technology so that we can build the capacity to deliver for our community.”
While programming has been maintained for the coming year, Public Health warns that continued underfunding from the province will impact the health unit’s ability to deliver services.
“With provincial funding shortfalls for several years, Public Health carefully assesses how best to use valuable resources to ensure the most beneficial impact is achieved,” the release states.
“While major changes in programming have been avoided for 2026, staff needed to be reallocated to help address current needs. Without a change in fiscal context, provincial underfunding threatens the loss of programming in future years.”
The $2-million technology expenditure will “make services sustainable for the long term,” the release states.
“The agency will leverage technology by embracing artificial intelligence to work more efficiently, by digitizing data through an electronic medical record (EMR) and new administrative systems, and by embarking on a transformative information technology (IT) roadmap that will enable continuous innovation,” the release states.
The upcoming year’s budget also earmarks funds for the recruitment and retention of skilled professionals. The release also states the Board of Health will also boost its advocacy to the province for adequate funding.
Public Health Sudbury & Districts will present their 2026 budget to city council members during Tuesday’s finance and administration committee meeting at the Lionel E. Lalonde Centre in Azilda. The meeting starts at 4 p.m. and can be viewed in-person or livestreamed by clicking here.