In 1992 and 1993, Canadian soldiers were deployed to Somalia. Before they boarded the plane, many were handed a pill and told to take it. It was mefloquine — an anti-malarial drug — and for some of them, what followed would be worse than anything they encountered in the field.
More than three decades later, those veterans are still fighting. Not in Somalia. In Federal Court.
What Is Mefloquine?
Mefloquine (brand name Lariam) is an anti-malarial medication developed in the 1970s. Through the 1990s, it became standard practice to prescribe it to Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members deploying to regions where malaria was a risk — Somalia, Rwanda, Afghanistan, and others.
The problem is what some of those soldiers weren’t told.
In 2016, Health Canada updated the drug’s warning labels to explicitly flag serious neurological and psychiatric side effects, including anxiety, paranoia, depression, hallucinations, psychotic behaviour, and thoughts of suicide — effects that can persist for months or years after the last dose. The drug is now considered a last resort by the Canadian military, prescribed only when a member specifically requests it or when all other anti-malarials are contraindicated.
That change came too late for the veterans who took it in the 1990s — many of whom had no idea what they were being given, let alone what it might do to them.
What Veterans Are Saying Happened
The lawsuit, brought forward by law firms Howie Sacks & Henry LLP and Phillips Barristers on behalf of hundreds of CAF veterans, centres on a specific allegation: that the Government of Canada failed in its duty of care.
Veterans claim they were ordered to take mefloquine as part of what amounted to a clinical trial — without informed consent, without being told about potential side effects, and without the monitoring that clinical trials require. Under the rules governing clinical trials, participants must consent before taking a new drug, be informed of risks, be advised on what to avoid while taking it, and be monitored for adverse effects.
According to the veterans, none of that happened.
Retired Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire — who served in Rwanda and has been public about his own struggles with PTSD — lent his name to the lawsuit, adding considerable weight to the veterans’ case and bringing national attention to an issue that had been simmering for years.
Where the Lawsuit Stands Right Now
As of August 2026, the case is at a critical juncture.
On June 2 and 3, 2026, counsel appeared before Associate Judge Crinson at the Federal Court of Canada to address a Motion to Strike and Stay the Mefloquine actions — a motion brought by the Department of Justice on behalf of Canada. In plain terms: the government tried to have the cases thrown out or put on hold.
Following the hearing, Associate Judge Crinson reserved his decision. That means the Court is still deliberating. A reserved decision can take days — or months. There is no set timeline.
The outcome of this motion will have a significant impact on where the litigation goes from here.
It’s worth noting that a previous class action, Dowe et al v The Attorney General of Canada, was put on hold pending the outcome of the Federal Court mass actions. Importantly, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice made clear that any individual who wants to pursue a compensation claim for mefloquine-related injuries must file their own individual lawsuit — they cannot rely on the proposed class action to do it for them.
The Human Cost
The side effects veterans are reporting aren’t minor inconveniences. We’re talking about people who came home from service with paranoia, depression, suicidal thoughts, and cognitive damage — and who, for years, had no framework for understanding why. No one told them the pill they were handed before deployment could rewire their brain chemistry.
Many of those symptoms look identical to PTSD, which has made it difficult for veterans to disentangle service-related trauma from drug-induced neurological damage. Some have had VAC claims denied because the documented condition was attributed to mental health rather than mefloquine. The two are not mutually exclusive — but sorting it out requires documentation, advocacy, and persistence most veterans shouldn’t have to supply on their own.
What Veterans Need to Know
If you or someone you know served in the CAF and was prescribed mefloquine — particularly during deployments to Somalia, Rwanda, or Afghanistan — here’s what matters right now:
You may have a claim. The mass tort action is still active, pending Judge Crinson’s decision. Individual claims can still be filed. Contact Howie Sacks & Henry LLP directly to understand your options before any limitation period passes.
Document everything. Medical records from your service, any documented complaints to MIR doctors, mental health records, prescription history — all of it matters. If you don’t have your records, submit an ATIP request to the Department of National Defence (atip-aiprp@forces.gc.ca) to obtain them.
Talk to VAC. You can call Veterans Affairs Canada at 1-866-522-2122 to speak with a case manager about benefits related to your condition. VAC also maintains a list of recommended specialists with experience treating military and veteran health conditions — ask specifically for that list when you call. You should not have to navigate this alone.
Connect with a Veterans Service Organization. The Bureau of Pensions Advocates (BPA) offers free legal assistance to veterans pursuing VAC claims, and organizations like the Veterans Ombudsman can flag systemic issues with your file. BPA: 1-877-228-2250.
The Pattern Doesn’t Change
What happened with mefloquine fits a pattern that runs throughout Canadian veteran affairs: a duty of care that looks solid on paper and quietly disappears when it matters. Soldiers were given a drug, told to take it, and sent home to figure out the consequences on their own — with a system that was largely unprepared to connect the dots between the pill and the damage.
The lawsuit is one of the few avenues veterans have had to formally hold the government accountable. Whether Judge Crinson’s decision opens that door wider or narrows it, the fight has already cost these men and women decades.
They deserve more than a reserved decision. They deserve a system that doesn’t make them sue for what should have been their right from the beginning.
Sources & Resources
- Howie Sacks & Henry LLP – Mefloquine Mass Tort Update (August 2026)
- Mefloquine Awareness Canada – Lawsuit Overview
- Global News – Mefloquine Coverage
- Veterans Affairs Canada – Litigation Notices
- Health Canada Mefloquine Label Update, 2016
- Bureau of Pensions Advocates: 1-877-228-2250
- Veterans Affairs Canada: 1-866-522-2122
This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. If you believe you have been affected by mefloquine, consult a qualified legal professional.