Honourable senators, last year in February, I spoke on the issue of neglected tropical diseases, or NTDs, a group of 20 infectious diseases and conditions affecting 1.7 billion people in the world. That’s 1 out of every 5 people living on the planet today.

NTDs are diseases you may have heard of: leprosy, river blindness, dengue fever, parasitic stomach worms and so on. These are ancient diseases that affect the lives of people living in the most disadvantaged and vulnerable communities in the world, even here in Canada.

As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, the global community has realized again not only the devastation that can be wrought on people’s lives by infectious diseases, but the need for strong health systems to deliver health care to all, leaving no one behind.

We have to step up the fight against NTDs. Not only is it the right thing to do, but also because it is through the control, elimination and eradication of neglected tropical diseases that we can make massive contributions to broader global health, such as universal health coverage and pandemic preparedness.

Investment in NTDs goes far beyond treating the diseases themselves. The presence of NTDs in a household can perpetuate a generational cycle of poverty. By addressing NTDs, we contribute to healthier communities with better outcomes for children, better economic outputs in households and reduction of lifelong disability and disfigurement.

It would be irresponsible to do everything we have done to help people survive COVID only to leave them vulnerable to these preventable and treatable diseases. Now is the right time to accelerate our work.

Climate change will have — and is having — both a direct and indirect impact on NTDs, such as increasing geographic locations of diseases such as dengue and by displacement of people into areas where NTDs persist.

As was said so often during COVID-19, no one is safe until everyone is safe. It is time for action — inaction is not an option.

A year ago this month, Canada endorsed the Kigali Declaration, committing to being a part of the global efforts to address NTDs. In addition to myself, Senator Boehm and Senator Ravalia have been encouraging our government to act more vigorously. We congratulate the government for taking this first step toward action. We also continue to encourage the government to do more, to commit the resources needed to help end the neglect of NTDs and to realize the right to health that people everywhere deserve. Thank you.