Debates of Sept. 15th, 2014

Ebola Outbreak

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to join you in congratulating our new colleague from Trinity—Spadina as he joins the House today for the first time. He asked a very pertinent question, one for which I do not have an answer.

I have to share in his concern, however. As we shut down too many embassies and consulates in Africa, we are forcing people to travel from country to country. Lo and behold, that is the case in East Africa and also in West Africa. I know one ambassador there who has the responsibility for five countries, including some of these. Now they cannot travel. The borders are crossed in some cases. We are causing more difficulties than are necessary.

I would hope that we would learn from this. Once we have tackled the terrible situation that currently exists in West Africa—and we hope it does not spread and that we contain it and eventually cure this damned thing—then at that point we hope the government would consider the implications of the decisions to close embassies and would reopen some for a number of reasons, not just to avoid spreading disease but also to help people get on with their lives without having to wait endlessly for some results and information that usually should come much faster than that.

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak to the House on Ebola and the tragedy unfolding in West Africa. I will be splitting my time with the member for Kootenay—Columbia.

Colleagues, West Africa is currently experiencing a devastating Ebola outbreak. This outbreak of Ebola has been ongoing in West Africa since December 2013 and was officially declared an outbreak in March 2014 by the World Health Organization. On August 8, 2014, the World Health Organization declared Ebola a public health emergency of international concern.

The Government of Canada is closely monitoring the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, and we are also working closely with our international partners to support a coordinated response. Our thoughts are with the citizens of the countries affected by Ebola, as well as with Canadians who have loved ones in those countries or who are working there as part of the international Ebola response effort.

I would like members of Parliament and all Canadians to understand that the risk of Ebola in Canada remains very low. There has never been a case of Ebola in this country. However, people may rest assured that we are well prepared should this occur. The Public Health Agency of Canada continues to work with the provinces and territories to plan and prepare for the rare chance that Ebola is ever imported into Canada by travellers from an affected area.

The Government of Canada has a number of systems in place to identify and prevent the importation of the Ebola virus into Canada. The Canada Border Services Agency and the Public Health Agency work together to ensure that travellers from affected countries are healthy when they arrive in Canada and are aware of actions they should take if they begin to experience symptoms of illness.

I would like to take a few moments to provide more background information on what exactly Ebola is and how it is transmitted to humans.

Ebola is a severe viral disease that causes hemorrhagic fever in humans and animals. Hemorrhagic fevers are infectious diseases that can be associated with severe and life-threatening bleeding as well as severe dehydration and organ failure.

It is important to note that the Ebola virus does not spread easily from person to person. Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the body fluids of infected animals. In Africa, fruit bats are considered a possible natural host for the Ebola virus.

Although contact with infected animals results in the introduction of the infection to humans, once contracted by humans, Ebola spreads in the community through human-to-human transmission. Unlike the flu or other respiratory infectious diseases, it is not airborne and cannot be transmitted through casual contact. In the current outbreak in West Africa, the spread occurs primarily among close contacts and family caregivers and as a result of local customs such as burial rituals.

The incubation period for Ebola, meaning the time between exposure and the onset of symptoms, varies between two and 21 days. Infected persons become contagious only when they have symptoms. Although infected, they are not contagious during the incubation period.

Ebola is a challenging disease to diagnose, as it has a wide range of common symptoms associated with a number of illnesses in Africa, such as malaria. It can only be medically confirmed through specialized laboratory testing.

As I mentioned earlier, Ebola does not spread easily from person to person. It is spread through direct contact with infected blood and bodily fluids. In Canada there has never been a confirmed case of Ebola. In the unlikely event Ebola is ever imported into the country, our hospitals have sophisticated infection control systems and procedures in place that are designed to limit the spread of the infection, protect health care workers, and provide the best care possible for the patient.

At this point I would like to give an overview of the current situation in Africa.

The current outbreak began in Guinea in December 2013 and spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia, prompting the WHO to announce the outbreak in March 2014. The virus continues to be actively transmitted in these three countries.

There has been a very limited spread of Ebola into Nigeria and Senegal, associated with single travellers from Liberia and Guinea respectively. We are optimistic for the containment of spread within these two countries due to the infection prevention and control measures that have been put into place.

In Nigeria there have been 21 cases associated with the initial traveller from Liberia, and eight deaths. In Senegal there has been only one travel-related case reported, and that individual has since recovered. No further cases have thus far been reported.

The good news is that countries around the world are rallying together to respond to the outbreak. The international response to Ebola is gaining momentum, and Canada has been an important part of this response since the beginning. Canada has contributed over $5 million in support of humanitarian, security, and public health interventions to address the spread of Ebola.

To prevent the spread of the disease to other countries, affected countries have implemented measures such as questionnaires and temperature monitoring to ensure that individuals who have been exposed to or infected by Ebola are not able to board flights. To date, there has been no spread of Ebola by travellers outside of Africa and there has not been a single case of Ebola contracted on a plane.

Ebola first appeared in 1976, and outbreaks have since been primarily occurring in remote villages in Central and West Africa near tropical rain forests. This current outbreak is the largest one on record.

There are a number of complex factors and significant challenges related to the management of this current outbreak that I would like to share with the House.

First, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia, the countries most affected in the current outbreak, are small countries and have limited resources to respond to prolonged outbreaks, especially in rural areas. The fact that Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia have multiple areas within their borders where infection is spreading adds another layer of difficulty in containing the infection.

When the outbreak takes place in remote and forested areas, it is easier to maintain a certain natural containment of the disease. However, in this current outbreak, in addition to remote regions, infections are also happening in large cities, where transmission of disease can affect many people in a short timeframe.

Among other things, miscommunication has also contributed to the negative perception by some communities of the success of outbreak control strategies, thus slowing down response efforts. Variations in health care infrastructure from one country to another and certain cultural practices such as burial rituals also add to the complexity of the outbreak and its containment.

As the outbreak has expanded and gained momentum, measures that have been put into place to contain its spread have also had an impact on relief efforts. Movement of people into and out of affected countries has been curtailed by travel restrictions implemented by affected countries as well as by the suspension of flights by regional and international airlines. These measures have created challenges in transporting scientists and laboratory specimens and in the replenishment of equipment and supplies necessary for the response.

Despite these challenges, international efforts continue, and many countries, including Canada, are exploring alternate ways to contribute to the outbreak response. I would like to take a moment to especially recognize the tremendous contributions non-governmental organizations have made in response to the outbreak in West Africa, including Doctors Without Borders, the Red Cross, and Samaritan's Purse, among others.

It is important for Canadians to know that the risk posed by Ebola to Canadians remains very low, as the virus is not transmissible through casual contact and robust systems are in place to prevent importation. Canadians should also know that the Government of Canada is supporting the international response in West Africa to reduce the risk of international spread of this serious disease.

Let me finish by reassuring the House that the Government of Canada is committed to the health and safety of Canadians and will continue to work closely with its international partners to support the response. The Public Health Agency of Canada, in collaboration with its provincial, territorial, and health system partners, remains committed to review and update the domestic health emergency management and response system to ensure the highest degree of public health possible for Canadians.

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I have two questions for him.

First of all, does he agree with most experts, who have said that we are losing this battle and that we need to invest more resources now if we want to avoid facing a much bigger problem in the future?

My colleague also said that countries are providing responses to the crisis. However, to take just one example, the UN and WHO have asked for $600 million on an urgent basis to face the crisis, but they have received less than one-third of what is needed. Does the member think it is the right level of response from the international community?

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague and I work well together on the foreign affairs committee, so it is great to see her in the House tonight in this debate.

I want to address the first question in terms of losing the battle with regard to more resources. Not being an expert, I do not know how much money we would need. You mentioned $600 million in your second question. I know that you are aware of the money that Canada has committed, the $5 million. Just tonight, about an hour or so ago, the Minister of Health announced an additional $2 million for personal protective equipment. That is a good start.

One thing we need to continue to do is work with the international community, because it has to be a collaborative effort. If it was to be $600 million, that seems like a huge number, but as we continue to work with our partners on the ground and with the WHO, we can figure out what the needs will continue to be in the coming days.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

I would remind all hon. members to direct their comments to the Chair rather than directly to their colleagues.

The hon. member for Kootenay—Columbia.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, continuing on the answer he just provided with regard to the additional $2 million that the minister spoke of tonight, could the member please expound upon what the protective gear would do to help those trying to assist people with the disease in Western Africa?

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in terms of the $2 million, I would like to repeat what has been committed so far just to remind our friends at home who are watching.

As I mentioned, there are over $5 million to stop the outbreak, which includes $2.95 million to the WHO to strengthen field response to the outbreak and mitigate associated threats to health and safety, $1.7 million to support humanitarian interventions led by Doctors Without Borders to reduce and control the spread of the virus in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and to provide care for those affected, $160,000 to the International Federation of Red Cross to support the response to the outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone through its emergency disaster assistance fund and $200,000 to the WHO through the international health grants program to support a request for assistance toward operational costs in West Africa and the coordination and deployment of international technical expertise.

The question the member just asked me is in addition to the amount that was announced tonight, the $2 million, by the minister for personal protective equipment. Once again, that was a request made by the international community just last week and here we are responding within the week. That would be to provide gowns, gloves and a number of things that would keep the workers safe as they essentially put their lives on the line in dealing with these cases and work with people who are affected.

That $2 million will be very helpful in terms of personal protective equipment to help the workers, the people on the ground, to deal with the affected people.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House tonight to highlight actions taken by our government to ensure Canada is prepared to manage public health threats such as Ebola and how Canada keeps its borders safe.

First, I want to emphasize how our thoughts are with those affected by the Ebola situation in West Africa.

Although the outbreak is taking place beyond our borders, Canada is playing an important and historic role in the global response, as well as engaging in extensive preparedness measures at home.

To date, the government has contributed more than $5 million in support of international humanitarian and public health security interventions. The government has also supported the development of an experimental vaccine for Ebola. We recognize that while such a vaccine is promising, it does not replace the need for rapid diagnosis, good infection control practices and tight coordination among partners.

Canada is providing world-leading laboratory expertise to help in the response effort in West Africa. We are also participating in an international early warning system that detects reports of outbreaks and emergencies from around the world to ensure an effective, coordinated and rapid response.

While there has never been a case of Ebola in Canada and the risk to Canadians remains very low, the government continues to actively work with provinces and territories here at home to ensure that our health care system is prepared for any infectious disease risk that lands on our doorsteps.

From the outset, the government's response has been robust and comprehensive, including world-class preparedness at home as well as meaningful contributions and impacts abroad as part of the global response.

These actions demonstrate the health and safety of Canadians has always been, and will continue to be, our top priority. To be clear, the risk to Canadians from the Ebola virus is very low. The Ebola virus does not spread easily from person to person. It is spread through direct contact with infected body fluids, not through casual contact. To date, there has not been a single case of Ebola contracted on an airplane.

Nonetheless, our government has taken steps to assist the people in West Africa, and will continue to monitor the situation closely.

While an imported case could potentially occur in Canada, it is highly unlikely to spread between Canadians given the strength of our health care system, existing prevention and control procedures, and overall preparedness.

The Government of Canada has a number of systems in place in Canada to identify and prevent the spread of serious infectious diseases like Ebola, as well as providing ill travellers with the best possible care.

The Public Health Agency of Canada was created in response to SARS to enhance Canada's preparedness to respond to situations like the one before us today. As a result, Canada is more prepared to address infectious disease risk today than ever before, recognizing that the many public health threats, such as outbreaks of serious infectious disease, such as Ebola, do not stop at the border.

We have also undertaken targeted work with other countries and international organizations, like the World Health Organization to build global public health security. On August 8, the World Health Organization declared the recent outbreak Ebola in West Africa a public health emergency, an international concern. It also determined that a coordinated response from the international community was required to prevent further spread of the disease.

Canada is already implementing many of the measures being advised by the World Health Organization, including maintaining preparedness to detect, investigate and manage people with Ebola virus in the unlikely event that a case were to appear in Canada.

Canada engages with international multilateral partners to promote global health security, including preventing and responding to public health threats. Building on our existing world health care system and prevention and control expertise, Canada's response to the Ebola situation is also being guided by the World Health Organization. On a global scale, the World Health Organization recommends managing Ebola by minimizing risk of exposure and spread.

First, the emphasis is on containment or reduction at the source. This involves treatment, screening and contact tracing on the ground for affected individuals in West Africa.

Second, there is an emphasis on limiting the spread across borders of affected countries in Africa. This includes exit screening, such as temperature checks for individuals who are travelling from affected countries.

Third, there are measures in place to detect ill travellers at points of entry in Canada.

I would like to take a few minutes to outline Canada's preparedness on how public health partners and border security officials across Canada are working together to ensure the health and safety of Canadians.

Comprehensive procedures are in place at our borders to identify ill travellers arriving to Canada. These procedures are set out in Canada's Quarantine Act which is administered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at all Canadian international points of entry. Canada requires travellers to report to a Canadian Border Services agent if they are ill upon arrival. Canadian Border Services Agency officers are also trained to screen arriving international travellers for signs and symptoms of infectious disease. Any travellers showing symptoms are referred to quarantine officers from the Public Health Agency of Canada for follow-up.

To be clear, the risk to Canadians is very low. There are no direct flights between Canada and countries currently affected by the Ebola virus outbreak.

Controls at our borders are just one of many interventions to reduce the spread of infectious disease and to protect Canadians. Should a traveller from an affected country develop symptoms associated with Ebola, the Canadian public health system is ready to respond with appropriate infection prevention and control, laboratory testing and treatment measures. While waiting for test results, various infection protection and control measures would be initiated within hospitals and the health care system to ensure the individual would be isolated and contained to minimize the risk of spreading the disease.

Hospitals in Canada have sophisticated infection control systems and procedures in place that are designed to limit the spread of infection, protect health care workers and provide the best care possible for those affected.

To keep Canadians informed, the Public Health Agency of Canada provides information directly to Canadians, such as travel health notices available online and through social medium platforms, including Twitter, and through the media by providing appropriate web, email, phone and contact information for people to get additional information.

In addition to these existing practices, we can quickly adapt our national response measures to address changing circumstances and evolving risk in the situation abroad. Canada's health professionals are prepared to act when an individual who has travelled from a region affected by Ebola is presented with symptoms within 21 days following the exposure.

We will continue to work with federal, provincial and territorial, and international partners to ensure a consistent and coordinated Canadian response.

In closing, I want to reassure Canadians of Canada's overall readiness to effectively respond to and manage public health threats like Ebola. The risk to Canadians remains low. This government is working to keep Canada's borders safe. Our health care system is prepared for rapid action. Canada is ready.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague from Kootenay—Columbia for taking part in this evening's debate.

I cannot help but think of the people I met this weekend who were singing the praises of the organization Doctors Without Borders, which is definitely the most important player trying to put an end to this crisis. Doctors Without Borders Canada has said that what we need to do is send the Disaster Assistance Response Team, which is also known as DART.

Would my colleague agree that that would be the right thing to do?

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, there is a coordinated effort being made by a number of countries around the world, Canada being just one. We will involve ourselves with all of the countries to ensure that the most appropriate action is taken. Canada will do its part with the many nations that are involved.

I hope that Canada, along with the other nations, will be able to stop this outbreak as soon as possible.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the member could comment on how coercive measures, such as forced quarantines and laws criminalizing the failure to report suspected cases, impact cases and containment.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, certainly forced quarantine from the perspective of this outbreak in Canada is not required. We have not had a case here in Canada. If the member is speaking to West Africa, whether it be Liberia, Guinea, or the other countries, certainly there is an opportunity to look at that. However, I do not understand whether that is occurring right now.

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I understand that Canada has been working on an experimental vaccine. I am just wondering if the hon. member could talk a little bit about what has been done with regard to that vaccination.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, what I can tell members is that approximately 1,500 doses of an experimental vaccine, designed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, have been produced under license by a U.S. company to support ongoing research. We have offered 800 to 1,000 doses of this experimental vaccine to the World Health Organization as a response to help fight this outbreak.

The World Health Organization continues to evaluate ethical and logistical concerns about the use of experimental vaccines in outbreak areas, and while the safe transportation of our vaccine is an important consideration, these doses are ready to be transported the moment the World Health Organization requests that they be transferred or deployed.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad that question was asked, because I was going to ask it, so I thank my colleague for it.

One of the things we are grappling with is the appropriate response. What I am hearing the government say is that it is ready to go if it is asked for, and I am assuming that all of the stock we have available will be made available. That is to clarify what I just heard.

Second, on the point of the DART, as was mentioned, we know that the DART can be enhanced. I am just wondering if the government has considered or has been asked to not only have the DART but to enhance it for biohazards? As we know, with this horrible disease, that would be smart.

If I can tuck one other question in there, on our Canada Border Services agents, are we training them? Do they have the protective gear that is necessary, because it is obviously a health and safety issue for them.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his questions, although to tell the truth I cannot remember before the third one, so I will start with number three.

The Canada Border Services Agency officers have available to them protective suits they can wear when required, as do most officers, not only from the Canada Border Services Agency but from the RCMP as well. From that perspective, it has been taken care of.

With regard to the doses, I am being told that they are available and ready to go, and it is up to the World Health Organization.

If I may indulge, I cannot remember the second question, so I cannot answer it.

[An hon. member]

DART.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to the DART, again, we remain ready with other countries should we be called upon to utilize them. I am sure that the DART could deal very well with the situation.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as I begin I will mention that I will be sharing my time with the member for Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert.

As we have heard tonight, the world faces a clear crisis with the Ebola virus. In fact, we are just hearing as of tonight that the United States has asked that a special meeting be convened by the Security Council this Thursday, which clearly shows that it is not just our Parliament but our friends and allies who are seized with this. I thank my colleague for asking for this debate. There will be a Security Council session this Thursday, and I think that is important.

As members know, we are also seized and will be discussing tomorrow night the issue of ISIS and Iraq. These two crises are worthy of our attention and our support. The case of Ebola, of course, is a very different scenario than dealing with what is happening in Iraq, but it requires a well-thought-out plan. It requires Canada to do everything it can as a responsible actor to help out, because this is a global phenomenon.

As we know, viruses travel across borders. We went through that not that long ago with SARS. Hopefully we have learned from that experience that if we have medicines that can help, we make them available and that we have an appropriate civil response. However, in this case, it is really about doing everything we can to help people particularly in West Africa.

We have already heard some of the numbers tonight, but I will underline them, because they are worth repeating. According to the World Health Organization, over 4,200 cases of Ebola have been recorded. We know the countries are Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Senegal, and Guinea. More than 2,200 people have died in a very short window. That is why this is so very important.

I have to give credit to those in civil society, in particular, Médecins Sans Frontières, who called this crisis to the world's attention. I guess I have to say that, sadly, not all of us were paying attention. However, I have to give credit to these people, because they put their lives on the line. They have done splendid work.

There is a prediction by the World Health Organization that we are talking about up to 20,000 people being infected over the next three months. The proliferation of this disease is massive and clearly needs all hands on deck to do everything we can to contain and stop it.

Further, if the virus does not mutate into an even more dangerous virus, which we hope it does not, because we know what would happen then, and if the international community can work together, we have a chance to contain it and make sure that fewer people will be infected. Clearly, more people will be infected because of the nature of this virus, but if we make sure that we do everything we can to isolate it and help those countries that need the help, then we have a good chance of containing it.

There is an important point that we have talked about in the House many times. We talked about this when we were dealing with the issue of the Central African Republic and the Sahel region. These are countries that cannot afford to respond in the way Canada and other countries can. This is why it is so very important, absolutely critical, that we do everything we can to help support the countries I mentioned. In particular, the countries are already stressed when it comes to providing basic health care, so when there is a crisis like this, we have to do everything we can.

Liberia particularly is severely challenged in controlling the spread of disease. Medical supplies are desperately low, and more and more health workers and doctors are themselves contracting the disease. I do not have to tell members that when we have the people on the front lines infected with the virus, clearly there is a capacity problem and an inability to respond appropriately.

According to the director of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan, there is not a single hospital bed available in Liberia, not one, because they are all taken by infected individuals. Clearly, there is a capacity problem there that can be dealt with.

Facilities are at full capacity, and all of the resources are presently exhausted, both the human resources and the basic materials they use to respond to health care crises.

This cascades into something else. When the front-line workers and capacity are taken up, it is not just a health issue but a security crisis as well. This is reflected in terms of governance, and we have talked a bit about that tonight. As well, there is transportation. How do they get people who are infected to the appropriate health care facilities? If the health care facilities are not there, what do they do? That is why we have been talking about a DART and the other models we have, and there are others around the world we should be talking to our allies about. Hopefully the Security Council will focus on what each member state can do to help out in a coordinated fashion. It is not just a health care crisis; it is a crisis around security, ultimately.

The way the disease is spread is spontaneous. It challenges the kind of global infrastructure we have. When there are countries that can least afford to respond on the front lines, it is obvious that we must do everything we can to help out, such as reinforcing the infrastructure they have, building more capacity, and providing human resources and infrastructure, such as beds. In a way, it is similar to what we will be talking about tomorrow, which is the refugee crisis. When I was in northern Iraq, they asked that we build refugee camps. In this case, it is to build hospitals and provide the services. They have that similarity. It needs a global response, and Canada has to do its part. I think that is what we are hearing from the government tonight. I was glad to hear of the $2 million. Clearly we will have to evaluate things and see if we can provide more.

Global transportation networks are being turned into vectors for spreading diseases. That is why people are quite rightly concerned. The way people travel and move around now, diseases can spread very quickly to more countries and continents. As the disease spreads internationally and encounters new populations, it is increasingly critical to understand the mutations and to monitor what is happening.

As domestic security and transportation networks become less stable because those populations, countries, and continents are affected, governments face real difficulties meeting the broader needs of their people. When a certain region and area becomes paralyzed, everything comes to a halt. They are putting all of their resources into responding to the crisis. Widespread panic sets in, which undermines dealing with it in a calm way, which causes what we have already seen, which is social unrest. This is very sensitive, and we must be smart in how we respond.

In requesting increased international support, the Liberian president said that the epidemic “threatens civil order”.

Dr. Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota said, “the Ebola epidemic in West Africa has the potential to alter history as much as any plague has ever done”, so on this note, Canada must help.

I did not know this before doing the work on this tonight, but Malaysia produces most of the world's rubber gloves and has recently committed 20 million pairs for medical use. Canada should use its expertise to show leadership to help.

In closing, not only should we have a DART, we should also provide the other needs that have been asked for, and that is the experts we have, the medical professionals, and particularly experts in public health. If we are to help deal with this crisis, all hands have to be on deck, and clearly Canada has a role to play.

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his, as usual, very interesting speech. I would like to ask him if he is in agreement with many experts who say that given that quite a number of the cases we have seen are new cases that have appeared in the last few weeks, it is as if this epidemic is gaining speed and that if we do not act now, the challenge in a few months will be even worse, which is why we absolutely need to act now.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague is absolutely right to make that point. If we have learned anything from communicable diseases, from viruses, it was back in 2000. That was the last time we had the Security Council seized with a health issue and that was about HIV/AIDS because of how it exploded even though we knew about it in Africa. Here we are again. Therefore, if we are to learn anything from our experience in the past, SARS as I mentioned earlier and others, it is that once we see the takeoff of a virus like this and we see the increase in cases, as the member noted, obviously this is something we have to be seized with and we have to put together. This is where it is difficult and I am glad to see that it is an issue for the Security Council on Thursday. We have to have a coordinated response. This is what Médecins Sans Frontières is asking for, what the WHO is underlining, that we all do what we can. When there are countries that do not have the infrastructure for basic public health that have to deal with this, then clearly we have to do more than just send rubber gloves and masks, which is helpful, but clearly we need to do everything we can to send people and build infrastructure.

[Alain Giguère, NDP, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his thoughtful presentation. However, it is important to note that an epidemic that turns into a pandemic will affect the entire world.

If we cannot quickly control the spread of this disease in Africa, how much will this disaster cost, both economically and in terms of human lives, if it ever comes here, within our own borders?

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, who raises an excellent question.

Responding to such an epidemic means stopping the spread of Ebola in the affected regions in order to prevent a pandemic.

If we are to learn anything, as the member said, going from what is simply a regional context to stop it from being a global phenomenon, which essentially we have now as we are hearing of cases, we have to be very careful not to spread fear but we have to monitor things carefully. It will spread throughout not just West Africa but beyond. Once it takes hold in any particular region, it does disable not only the health resources to an extent where basic infrastructure cannot be maintained as we have seen, but it also undermines the economy. That is something we had a little taste of with SARS.

I am very concerned that the world and the global community have not responded quickly enough. If I may, it is interesting when we see health issues like this. We certainly saw it with HIV/AIDS, where, let us be frank about this, we were self-satisfied that things were not affecting us as much. When it came to sub-Saharan Africa, the world did not do a lot until it absolutely ravaged major populations and then we started to care. That is a lesson that should be learned and we cannot repeat what happened with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. That is why this should be taken so seriously, with all hands on deck doing everything we can.

[Djaouida Sellah, NDP, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank my colleague from Laurier—Sainte-Marie for requesting that this emergency debate on Canada's response to the Ebola epidemic be held tonight.

Today, three countries in West Africa are facing an exponential Ebola epidemic crisis. These are Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Doctors Without Borders reports 600 new patients every week in those countries. The World Health Organization is projecting that 20,000 people will be infected in three months. Cases have also been identified in Senegal and Nigeria. We must not wait for this epidemic to spread and claim even more victims.

In her speech to the UN on September 2, Dr. Joanne Liu said:

Leaders are failing to come to grips with this transnational threat. The WHO announcement on August 8 that the epidemic constituted a “public health emergency of international concern” has not led to decisive action, and states have essentially joined a global coalition of inaction.

This situation is simply unacceptable. As a doctor by training, I can only be moved by this statement. Canada is a developed country with considerable financial means compared to the countries in the grips of Ebola and yet the government was slow to act. When it did take action, the measures were inadequate.

This epidemic knows no borders. We cannot take action just to protect our borders. We must attack the roots of the epidemic to eradicate it. Releasing funds is not enough for this. This humanitarian emergency needs trained medical personnel to actively detect new cases. It also needs the proper structures, treatment centres and safe isolation facilities.

Doctors Without Borders has pointed out that its personnel had to turn patients away because they had no space. In Sierra Leone, infected people are dying in the streets because they cannot get to a medical centre. In Liberia, the victims are stopped at the hospital doors. Because of a lack of capacity, the hospitals cannot admit them.

We have civilian, logistical, technological and even military capabilities to help the organizations on the ground. That is where the containment action can be taken. That is why the Canadian government should deploy the Disaster Assistance Response Team with the ability to use all the resources it needs. This should be done in close collaboration with the affected countries.

In support of this argument, I would like to remind members that the entire health care system in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone has been undermined. More than 150 health care workers have been infected, 79 of whom have died. These deaths decrease these countries' capacity to respond to the crisis. Some health care professionals are afraid to go to work because they might catch the virus.

Health care facilities have therefore been abandoned, leaving the population on its own to deal with the virus and other illnesses such as malaria, diarrhea and other common diseases that unfortunately cannot be treated. Providing support on site and increasing the number of secure isolation facilities will help to ease the burden on health care systems that today can no longer respond to the demand.

It is also important to set up an efficient information system. I would like to tell members what I heard at a meeting with the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association. I did not ask permission to share this information, but in the Ivory Coast, people will no longer touch each other. The minister told us that people greet each other without touching. That is because there is a lack of information. It is important that we go and help these people. By so doing, we would also protect ourselves. That is some background on what is happening in those countries, and it shows that an efficient information system must be implemented.

People also need to have access to information, otherwise mistrust of medical personnel will only grow, resulting in more violence. We agree that Canada cannot do this alone. A cross-government response is required.

The UN Security Council is holding an emergency meeting this Thursday. Decisions will be made regarding what action to take and what measures could be implemented. I would like to know how the government intends to get involved in the solutions that will eventually be implemented even if it cannot participate in the meeting.

We have been slow to act, but we can remedy that by taking immediate action. When we hear Liberia's national defence minister tell the UN Security Council that Liberia's existence is seriously threatened, the situation is more than urgent. The longer we delay, the greater the threat to the future of an entire generation.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, The New York Times is reporting tonight that tomorrow President Obama will be going to the CDC to hear first-hand what the situation is from its point of view and appoint an Ebola czar to coordinate the efforts of the United States internationally.

Does the hon. member think that having the minister of heritage and culture do a press conference on the Ebola virus is an appropriate response by the government, or whether, as was the original understanding of Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, it should be Canada's doctor speaking to the people of Canada explaining what this disease is and the risks? How can we ensure that politics is out of this and information about a serious infectious disease is delivered by physicians and medical people as opposed to politicians?