Mr. Speaker, I call to the attention of parliament the plight of two billion people in the world who are infected with tuberculosis, 200 million of whom will develop the disease. One hundred million will die if no proper treatment is made available to them.
This may not have the impact that the image of a flood or the exodus of refugees creates, but the scale of human suffering and lives lost is no less.
We cannot afford to be complacent only because the incidence of tuberculosis in Canada is low. One can become infected simply by sharing the same air with an infected person in a waiting room, in a bus or in an airplane. It is an ever-increasing risk in our global village.
The well-being of Canada and her citizens is well served by contributing our expertise and financial resources to combat this menace to international public health.
We have a collective duty to help in the global action. This let us pledge as we mark World Tuberculosis Day today.