Thank you, Mr. Chair.
This week at the 72nd session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, many observers publicly expressed their profound disappointment with the Government of Canada's attempts to either oppose or dilute a resolution aimed at reducing drug prices globally through increased transparency for drug companies. If the resolution were passed as originally drafted, many global observers believe it would be a major step towards improving access to affordable medicines as well. Presently, a lack of transparency on drug pricing agreements and research and development costs allow drug companies to charge high, arbitrary and certainly not very transparent prices.
Do you have any information to tell the committee why Canada is taking a position at the World Health Assembly that hampers global efforts to reduce the price of pharmaceutical drugs and access to medicine globally?