Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition regarding chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, or CCSVI. Canada has one of the highest rates of devastating multiple sclerosis in the world, with 55,000 to 75,000 Canadians suffering. Four hundred people die of MS each year, and the suicide rate among MS patients is many times that of the national population.
While the government has announced clinical trials for CCSVI, all we have right now is announcements. What we need is action. Canadians with MS cannot afford to wait, as any delay possibly means more damage. Therefore the petitioners call on the Minister of Health to consult experts actively engaged in diagnosis and treatment of CCSVI, to undertake phase III clinical trials on an urgent basis with a large patient participation in multiple centres across Canada and to require follow-up care.