Bob Gibson, a retired Royal Canadian Air Force pilot diagnosed with ALS in December 2023, is lobbying Ottawa to include $50 million for research into the disease in Thursday's federal budget, The Globe and Mail reports. Working with the ALS Society of Canada, he visited Parliament Hill last week to argue the case.
Gibson points to studies from several countries suggesting veterans are diagnosed with ALS at higher rates than the general public, and the campaign wants the funding to examine a possible link to military service. The paper notes that the US Congress approved US$315 million for ALS research in February, and that ALS Canada says Australia and Britain also recognise the need for such spending. The cause of most ALS cases remains unknown.
Source: The Globe and Mail
