Judy Wasylycia-Leis
Judy Wasylycia-Leis is a Canadian Member of Parliament (MP) for the New Democratic Party, representing the riding of Winnipeg North since 1997. Judy also acts as Health spokesperson for her party.
Judy was first introduced to tuberculosis (TB) and its devastating impact in the world when she traveled to Bangladesh as part of a multi-party parliamentary educational delegation led by RESULTS Canada in March 2009.
After returning from the delegation, Judy said "My trip to Bangladesh was to learn about the challenges of poverty but also the solutions. It opened my eyes to the imperative of just getting started, of tackling even big challenges one step at a time."
During the delegation, Judy spoke with various TB patients and health workers, and even met with the Bangladeshi National TB Controller. She visited various NGOs and health clinics - where she saw first-hand the life-saving impact TB drugs can have, when they are made available. "Imagine a two-year old appearing to be less than six months old because of diarrhoeal disease, malnourishment and TB, but who will catch up with her growth and development within months because of basic treatment and nutritional supplements that cost pennies," Judy recalled after a visit to Dhaka's ICDDR, hospital.
Upon her return from Bangladesh, understanding the importance of making basic TB treatment accessible to those who need it, Judy launched a parliamentary debate on a bill to get affordable, life-saving drugs - including TB drugs - flowing to countries where high drug prices are costing thousands of lives. The Wasylycia-Leis bill, C-393, makes critical improvements to Canada's Access to Medicines Regime, the framework for cheaper drug access.
Judy will continue to be a champion and strong advocate in the fight to control tuberculosis internationally.
