Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of those who are faced with a terrible disease called lupus.
This is Lupus Awareness Month in Ontario and throughout the month there have been a number of activities across the province geared to raising awareness about this chronic disease. Indeed the Lupus Foundation of Ontario is located in my riding in Ridgeway, Ontario.
Lupus can affect people of all races and ethnicities, and people of all ages. The disease turns the immune system against the body and attacks the body's own healthy cells causing tissue damage, organ failure and in some cases, death.
The symptoms and health effects of lupus can go undetected for many years before people obtain a correct diagnosis and medical treatment. Medical research efforts into lupus and the discovery of safer, more effective treatments for lupus patients are underfunded in comparison with diseases of comparable magnitude and severity.
There is an important need to increase awareness about the debilitating impact of lupus, and I call on the government to give more support for lupus research.