It is probably fitting that my first blog entry is written in Paris.  I finally have enough time to get the blogger set up.  I have been here for nearly a week and have really been enjoying myself. 

Apart from a certain amount of sight-seeing, I am attending an international lung conference (the IUATLD World Congress).  This conference brings together some of the best minds regarding lung health worldwide. 

My particular interest is in Tuberculosis (TB).  While we do not have a huge problem of TB in Canada (at least compared to other countries), we nevertheless have a significant number of cases in our First Nations and immigrant populations.  To me, this is totally unacceptable.  We are a 'first world' nation and should afford these populations the best care possible.  I am hopeful through the work of the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada, CIDA and groups like Stop TB Canada, we can halt TB in Canada and help with the worldwide burden.

It horrifies me that in this day and age we still have the scourge of TB worldwide.  It is particularly predominant in Africa and China.  Perhaps the most disturbing is that it generally is a treatable disease and yet despite this, there over 1.6 million deaths per year worldwide.