Eve Adams

[Health, October 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, we are particularly proud of this very promising vaccine. That is why since day one Canada has been at the forefront of responding to the Ebola crisis. Not only are we contributing $35 million to assist those on the ground, to assist them on general humanitarian grounds, to assist them with nutrition and to provide them with treatment, we are also contributing, of the 1,500 doses that we fully own, up to 1,000 doses to the World Health Organization.

It is up to the World Health Organization to decide how it thinks it can best use these doses. Whether it is going to trials or whether it is directly dispensing them, the World Health Organization is in the driver's seat when it comes to those doses.

[Health, October 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has been at the forefront of responding to the Ebola crisis. We have been there since day one. We have offered $35 million to leading international humanitarian groups such as the Red Cross, the World Health Organization, and Médecins Sans Frontières. We are dispensing equipment, we are dispensing much-needed expertise, and we have the scientific lab on the ground where we have scientists rotating in and out.

Canada has always shown extreme compassion, and we are ready to help those who are affected.

[Health, October 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the opposition is confusing issues. Let me very clear about this. Canada owns the doses. We own the intellectual property rights to these doses. We have fully and completely donated up to 1,000 of these doses to the World Health Organization. It is up to it to manage the logistics and to dispense them as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

[Health, October 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as I have been very clear in the chamber and on a number of panels with this critic, the vaccines have been donated to the World Health Organization. Canada owns these vaccines. We have 1,500 doses. We have donated up to 1,000 to the World Health Organization. It is up to the World Health Organization to deploy these vaccines as efficiently, ethically, and quickly as possible.

[Health, October 2nd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as the chief medical officer indicated yesterday and the Public Health Agency has been saying now for some time, and this has been verified by the World Health Organization, the risk to Canadians from Ebola is very low.

I do not think this is an issue that we want to fear-monger with. We are providing $35 million in assistance. We have generously donated $2.5 million in equipment. We are showing international leadership on this file.

[Health, October 2nd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, we are examining our options to deliver this equipment as quickly and as efficiently as possible. We have been doing quite a bit actually, and we are a global leader when it comes to the response on Ebola.

As I have indicated, we are providing $35 million to the Red Cross, to the World Health Organization, and to Médecins Sans Frontières. These folks have the capacity on the ground to assist. We are providing basic nutritional assistance. We are providing scientific assistance. We are doing as much as we possibly can to help, and we are always looking to see what we can do.

[Health, October 2nd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, in fact there is a full import ban on all drugs coming from these facilities. These drugs are not entering Canada. We will make considerations if there is some life-saving drug there and there is no other drug available in Canada, but at this point, there is no such need.

It is Vanessa's Law, which is currently going through the Senate, that will provide Health Canada with the mandatory recall powers it needs. It will also allow Health Canada to insist on large, hefty fines against pharmaceutical firms. We prioritize Canadians' health safety.

[Health, October 2nd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, we will not tolerate drug safety risks. As soon as Health Canada was made aware of the issues at the plants in India, it acted immediately. A quarantine was put in place. All of the medications were reviewed, and now there is an import ban against these medications.

Vanessa's law will allow Health Canada to enact tough new fines for companies that put any Canadian lives at risk. It will also allow Health Canada to not have to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies but to simply ban them.

[Health, October 2nd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, everybody understands that the vaccines need to get to the people most affected, but there are logistical issues. In fact, the World Health Organization, in discussions with our chief medical officer, ascertains that consent needs to be provided. Obtaining this consent is an issue. Ensuring that the vaccines are refrigerated is an issue.

What I can assure the House is that we have donated 800 to 1,000 doses of this vaccine. It is being made available. As soon as the World Health Organization can make use of it, we will ship it.

[Health, October 2nd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated, the vaccines are available. They have been made available to the World Health Organization and it is the World Health Organization that takes the leadership role on organizing these logistics. As soon as the World Health Organization would like to pull the trigger, we are ready to ship the vaccines.

However, we are not stopping there. We are providing $35 million to help those most affected by Ebola, to curb the spread of Ebola, to provide basic nutrition to people who are suffering and to provide medical equipment in place. We are showing global leadership in the response to Ebola.