Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present petition 451-00927.
The petitioners, including constituents of mine from the Sunshine Coast, want to draw attention to the fact that long COVID affects approximately 1.4 million Canadians, causing significant health and economic burdens. The amyloid microclot test is supported by global research. It can identify clots linked to long COVID, enabling targeted therapies. The test has not yet been approved by Health Canada, delaying access to critical diagnostics due to regulatory and validation barriers.
The petitioners state that Canadians deserve equitable access to diagnostics to address long COVID's impact.
The petitioners call upon Canada to prioritize the validation and approval of flow cytometry of amyloid microclots as a reference test, to consider funding a pilot program and to implement regulatory reforms to streamline the approval process for lab-developed tests addressing unmet medical needs like long COVID.