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March 24th, 2014

NDP statement on World Tuberculosis Day

NDP International Development critic Hélène Laverdière (Laurier—Sainte-Marie) made the following statement for World Tuberculosis Day:

“This World Tuberculosis Day, we honour the work of Robert Koch, who on March 24, 1882, discovered ‘Koch’s bacillus’—the bacteria that causes tuberculosis. We also renew our support for international efforts to eradicate this disease, like those underway at Results Canada and the Stop TB Partnership.

Since the 1990s, the world has made great progress in the fight against TB, but much work remains to be done. Every year, nine million people fall ill to tuberculosis. Three million of them—some of the poorest people in the world—do not have access to adequate care.

Thankfully, TB is a treatable disease. The Medicines for All bill (C-398), which I sponsored in 2012, would have helped Canada contribute more actively to the fight against AIDS, TB, malaria, and other diseases that threaten public health. Unfortunately, the Conservatives rejected that bill.

Still, we continue to believe that the world is approaching a turning point in fighting these diseases and that—by working together—we can eradicate tuberculosis by promoting better diagnoses, faster treatment and improved access to vaccinations and medications.”