Dr. Verchere, I would like to continue the discussion on research you were having with my colleague Mr. Davies.
The Canadian Diabetes Strategy is not new. For example, a strategy was developed in 1999. An amount of $115 million was set aside over a five-year period. In 2005, there was a new strategy with a large investment—a $70-million envelope—specifically concerning aboriginals.
I don't want to make this into a litany, but a number of initiatives have been launched and a lot of money spent to advance diabetes research. The Auditor General recently concluded that the Public Health Agency of Canada did not know “whether its activities have had an impact on the well-being of people who live with diabetes or who are at risk of developing the disease.”
What is your short-term vision of the research, considering all those investments? Where are we going?
What is the purpose of the research? Is it a matter of finding a treatment, a drug or a way to cure the disease once diabetes has been diagnosed?
When do think you will be able to find that treatment, if ever?