HIST 2223
NB Op-Ed
October 7th, 2024
The province of New Brunswick is currently on the heels of its 2024 General Election and while many issues in the public life and government are being brought to light during this time, one crucial piece of information is missing. For the past two years, citizens of New Brunswick have been facing a public health crisis that few are aware of. A serious, degenerative brain disease, initially reported in a cluster of 40 people, with symptoms consisting of muscle spasms, atrophy, and progressive dementia is slowing and surely spreading throughout the Moncton and Acadian Peninsula areas of the province. Although this issue had not been widely reported and barely touched on by politicians in the months leading up to the Election, I argue this is extremely important to New Brunswick politics. Scientists have collected enough evidence to confirm this neurodegenerative disease is due, or at least partly due, to environmental factors/risks, and therefore, it is the duty of our public representatives, our politicians, to make sure that the public is aware of this health risk and is kept informed on this public safety concern. Personally, I do not agree with how the New Brunswick government has handled it thus far. The government has an obligation to be fully disclosed on health issues that could affect the public in such a grave way, whereas they are currently hiding it.
In the past few months, as the election grows closer, “there’s been a renewed call for public inquiry into why so many New Brunswickers have become sick with neurodegenerative symptoms and illnesses” (Brown). When the clusters of illnesses began two years ago, it was initially thought to be Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. That was until all the symptomatic patients tested negative. It was shortly after this that a neurologist of Moncton reported that those coming in sick could be suffering from an unknown brain disease, one that was intricately linked to their environment, potentially through the use of pesticides, although the exact cause has yet to be determined or disclosed. At this same time, the province of New Brunswick ordered a stop to further investigation into the disease by the federal neurologists, claiming that there was an explanation to this mystery illness. Currently, Dr. Alier Marrero reports that over 400 people in New Brunswick are now seeking health care for the symptoms reported by the initial 40 patients with the unknown brain disease. This fact, “sparked Green Party MLA Megan Mitton to call for a public inquiry into what happened internally between the province and Ottawa, as well as further testing, including environmental, to try and find patients some answer” (Brown). Mitton is the first, and only Politician to speak on the topic. Concerningly, another “leading, Federal scientist in Canada has alleged he was barred from investigating the mystery brain illness in New Brunswick” (Cecco). The needs and personal rights of patients are being neglected because the government is either not ready, or not willing, to own up to potentially their own mistakes, or fund research into this new, deadly disease.
The solution I propose to combat this issue in the New Brunswick General Election is for more political transparency. At this point, the New Brunswick government needs to disclose why they ended the research being done on this disease. Additionally, the government has a duty to inform their citizens on any updates in this case. A hot topic in this election has been health care and if money is being promised to the health care industry, some should be budgeted to research this serious disease, as evidence shows that cases are increasing, and are a major threat to the lives and health of people of any demographic. If anything, honesty, transparency, and support on such an uncontrolled and frightening health threat, from the government could only strengthen party support by the public. The secrecy and “sweeping under the carpet” mentality of this case is cause for concern and suspicion, not the attitudes any party needs nor wants when heading to an election. Additionally, should pesticides be confirmed as cause for this disease, then the government should work to instate laws that have greater control over the use of these pesticides and restrict the use of glyphosate in areas where public consumption and contamination is a risk.
Ultimately, this case is important. It is detrimental to public health and safety and the government has a responsibility to its citizens to research this disease and to fund that research. Political transparency is not just desired, but required, and the government must do more to protect the New Brunswickers against a potentially preventable disease. Thus far, the New Brunswick election has ignored this issue, whether because politicians have fears it would slow the election down, damage their own reputation, or simply do not care, we can conclude that the issue has been neglected and therefore, the health and safety of their constituents has been as well.
Works Cited
– Brown, Laura. “N.B. Health Aware of 263 Possible Neurological Illnesses, but Says Most Haven’t Been Submitted Yet.” CTV News, August 16, 2024. N.B. politician calls for inquiry into brain illness after New York Times article | CTV News
– Cecco, Leyland. “Top Canadian scientists allege in leaked emails; he was barred from studying mystery brain illness.” The Guardian, June 30, 2024. Top Canadian scientist alleges in leaked emails he was barred from studying mystery brain illness | Canada | The Guardian
– Schmunk, Rhianna. “Scientist working on mystery N.B. brain condition, claimed he was ‘cut off’ for ‘political reasons.’” CBC News, June 7, 2024. Scientist working on mystery N.B. brain condition claimed he was ‘cut off’ for ‘political’ reasons | CBC News
