Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise to table a petition from almost 3,000 people from across Canada and Saskatchewan with regard to endometriosis. This petition came about because of a meeting with a constituent named Tina and her health care providers in my office.
Almost two million Canadians are affected by endometriosis. Endometriosis has a significantly negative impact on the well-being and health of Canadians suffering from the condition. There are severe existing gaps in diagnosing and treating endometriosis, including long wait times to see health care providers, the need for increased awareness of the condition and the slow progress of endometriosis research in Canada.
The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to adopt the following recommendations from the Standing Committee on Health's report entitled “Women's Health in Canada”. First, it should increase funding for research that supports innovation and discovery with respect to the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis. Second, it should develop a national action plan on endometriosis in collaboration with related governing and administrative bodies, as well as people living with endometriosis, clinicians and researchers, to address gaps and barriers that hinder awareness, diagnosis and treatment.