Thank you.
Our government understands the burden that chronic diseases place on the health care system in Canada. It is committed to reducing that impact. We are striving to create conditions for healthier aging by preventing or delaying the onset of chronic diseases and preventing complications when they occur.
This is really achieved through a number of investments in a number of areas, such as research, surveillance, and better understanding of the factors associated with aging. We launched the population health study on neurological disease, which looks at neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and Parkinson's—again in partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. They have taken it a step further and are collaborating with the international community, which is doing similar research activity, again, to deal with providing better support to our aging population.
In addition to filling that gap, our government has been working with a range of partners to provide information for healthy aging initiatives with seniors' ministries in the provinces and territories. As well, in September 2010, the provinces and territories endorsed a declaration on prevention and promotion. Again, that's a collaboration with the jurisdictions.
In addition to that, in September of this year, I attended a conference on non-communicable diseases at the UN in New York, and I signed the UN declaration on preventing and controlling chronic diseases. This important declaration addresses the growing threat of chronic diseases around the world, and the countries have agreed that they must take effective action to reduce that. That's why we have taken the action to reduce tobacco use, promote healthy living, and to deal with obesity as well as a number of initiatives. It fits right under that umbrella declaration.
We have taken significant steps in that. The UN agreement basically complements what we have signed in Canada—the declaration with health ministries on prevention and dealing with preventable illnesses before they come into our health care system.