Mr. Speaker, the month of November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Diabetes is a chronic disease caused by a lack of insulin, which leads to an excess of sugar in the blood. Although there is not as yet any cure, the disease is controllable.
It is estimated that close to 500,000 Quebeckers are affected by this disease, a figure that could double by 2025, since seniors are most at risk.
I would like to draw attention to the work being done by Diabetes Québec. For more than 50 years, this organization, which now has more than 2,400 volunteers in 45 associations throughout Quebec, has been helping diabetics.
Diabetics and the organizations working with and for them deserve our support. I call upon the federal government to do its share by transferring to Quebec and the provinces the funds necessary to enable them to meet the many ongoing needs of those with diabetes.