摘要Many governments in the world reacted to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic by swiftly offering stimulus packages to their populations.While public unpreparedness was dramatic,it was not unexpected:many alarms had been sounded.Strategies by the federal and various provincial governments of Canada in core sectors predis-posed the country to the current situation and weakened its capacity to respond adequately.This paper reviews the cumulative effects of these strategic orientations:a deficient investment strategy in fundamental science;dis-connect between laboratory work and the country's capacity to produce vaccines and antiviral drugs;the priority of cost efficiency that led to overwhelming dependency on foreign production of medical supplies;and dramatic spending cuts in public health.We will discuss a Mission strategy to exit the crisis that takes a long-term perspec-tive,in which public interest and public health,combined with a strong State leadership,stimulate innovation and collaboration between national and international actors.