Mr. Speaker, I rise today in commemoration of World Tuberculosis Day on March 24.
Tuberculosis still claims 4,600 victims each day posing a significant health risk to poor and malnourished people in developing countries. However, with our government's help, the global fight against TB made incredible strides.
Canada is a significant contributor to the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and other TB initiatives, such as the World Health Organization's tuberculosis control program.
In 2000, only 28% of victims of tuberculosis had access to proper treatment. By 2009, that number had risen to 69%.
Thanks to CIDA, the government has helped successfully treat more than 4 million victims and helped save more than half a million lives.
Today, Canadians can be proud of this government's continued efforts to slow the spread of TB and reduce the preventable deaths caused by this terrible disease.