Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from a number of people from across this country who are concerned about Lyme disease in Canada. They are concerned about a number of things, one of which is that numerous peer-reviewed scientific studies have warned that a warming climate will expand the geographic range of Lyme disease, carrying ticks further into Canada. They include a 2012 paper by Leighton et al., which states that over 80% of the population in eastern and central Canada could be living in areas at risk of Lyme disease by the year 2020.
The petitioners are asking the government to convene a national conference with provincial and territorial health ministers, representatives of the medical community, and patients' groups for the purpose of developing a national strategy that works toward ensuring the recognition, timely diagnosis, and effective treatment of Lyme disease in Canada.