Question Period Note: Thalidomide

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KEY MESSAGES
· Our Government is committed to supporting Canadian thalidomide survivors and has established an ex gratia program to help them live the rest of their lives with dignity.
· We have recognized 132 thalidomide survivors, and more continue to be admitted through the Canadian Thalidomide Survivors Support Program.
· There is no definitive medical test for thalidomide injuries, so the assessments are reviewed carefully by medical experts. This process can be time consuming, but it is important to assess all applications carefully and fairly.
IF PRESSED …
Q1 : If pressed on assessment timelines…
A1 :
• Identifying thalidomide survivors is complex as there is no definitive medical test available (genetic or otherwise). Several other factors impact the length of the assessment process, including the size of applicants’ files, the complexity of their injuries, the time required to receive additional medical information, and changes to the assessment process as a result of federal court decisions.
• Continuous efforts are made to streamline the process and to assess all applications carefully and fairly.
Q2 : If pressed on individual with congenital malformations whose applications were denied…
A2 :
• Sadly, to this day, a number of children are born with spontaneous or otherwise unaccountable malformations similar to those caused by thalidomide.
• According to the World Health Organization, congenital malformations may be the result of one or more genetic, infectious, nutritional, or environmental factors. Approximately half of all birth defects cannot be linked to a specific cause.

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• The Canadian Thalidomide Survivors Support Program (CTSSP) was established by Order in Council (OIC) in April 2019 and is currently proving financial support to 132 confirmed thalidomide survivors. New survivors continue to be admitted, and some have passed away.

• Over the 5-year application period (2019-2024), a total of 342 applications were submitted to the administrator, Epiq, a Canadian corporation. To date, 192 final decisions have been rendered, 16 of which were confirmed as eligible survivors under the CTSSP. The remaining applications are at various stages of the probability-based medical assessment process.

• The Federal Court rendered two judgements that changed the assessment process outlined in the CTSSP OIC, and impacted the number of applications: 126 additional applications received further to the August 2022 decision and 110 additional applications submitted further to the April 2024 decision.