Barbara Yaffe
About Barbara Yaffe
Barbara Yaffe serves as the Acting Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health for Communicable and Infectious Diseases at the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. With over 30 years of experience in public health, she focuses on addressing the needs of diverse populations and engages in advocacy and policy development.
Current Role in Public Health
Barbara Yaffe serves as the Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health, Communicable and Infectious Diseases (Acting) at the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. She has held this position since 2018. In this role, she focuses on addressing the unique health needs of diverse populations, including new immigrants, refugees, the homeless, and drug users. Her work involves collaboration with various stakeholders at local, provincial, and national levels to improve public health outcomes.
Education and Training
Barbara Yaffe completed her Doctor of Medicine (MD) at the University of Toronto from 1974 to 1978. She also holds a Master of Health Sciences from the same institution, which she achieved from 1980 to 1981. Additionally, she pursued a Fellowship in Public Health & Preventive Medicine from 1980 to 1984. Yaffe further expanded her expertise by studying Environmental Epidemiology and Cancer Epidemiology at the University of Minnesota, completing a Graduate Programme in Epidemiology in 1983.
Experience in Public Health
With over 30 years of experience in local public health in Toronto, Barbara Yaffe has held significant roles in various public health organizations. She has been the Director of Communicable Disease Control and Associate Medical Officer of Health at Toronto Public Health since 1998. Her extensive experience encompasses advocacy, policy development, and program implementation in public health, contributing to her expertise in managing communicable diseases.
Focus on Diverse Populations
Barbara Yaffe is committed to identifying and addressing the unique health needs of diverse populations. Her focus includes working with new immigrants, refugees, the homeless, and drug users. This commitment reflects her understanding of the complexities involved in public health and the importance of tailored health interventions for different community groups.