The Framework for Diabetes led by Sonia Sidhu MP has now been introduced in Parliament by the Federal Minister for Health, Jean-Yves Duclos. He described it as an exciting and welcome development that aims to address the complex condition and rising prevalence of diabetes in Canada.
Patient advocacy group, Diabetes Canada, have expressed their thanks to the Minister, Sonia Sidhu MP Chair of the all-party Diabetes Caucus and her parliamentary colleagues, whose commitment and leadership helped make passage of the legislation a reality.
CAPTION: Sonia chairing a meeting of the Canadian all-party caucus discussing the national plan and how to get it into law.
For the past several years, the all-party caucus together with Diabetes Canada has led the call for a strategy and framework. This has been done in collaboration with more than 100 groups and individuals from across the country, to address the growing and silent epidemic of diabetes which impacts more than 11.7 million Canadians, and costs the health-care system almost CAN $50 million (1CAN $ = .74 US $) to treat every day.
Diabetes Canada is now urging the federal government, and its provincial and territorial partners, to identify and dedicate the necessary investments in their 2023 Budgets (and successive years) to implement the Framework.
These investments should include improved access to treatments, risk reduction strategies, and enhanced research all with one ultimate objective—to improve health outcomes for people with diabetes.
Diabetes Canada recommends that a convening and coordinating body that includes people living with diabetes, national experts in care and research, and public and private funding partners should be established to help drive the implementation and evolution of this Framework and report back on progress on an annual basis.
The Framework was developed in consultation with people impacted by diabetes, health groups, and all levels of government, and has the potential to prevent millions of diabetes diagnoses as well as ensure that all those living with diabetes have improved and equitable access to vital care.
CAPTION: Health Minister, Jean-Yves Duclos, looks on as Sonia Sidhu MP speaks after the passage of the Bill to establish a Framework for Diabetes into law.
More specifically, federal, provincial and territorial governments must invest in its implementation to support the following:
● Access to Resources: make sure people who live with diabetes have timely and equitable access to the supports, medications, and devices they need.
● Measurable Progress: create and fund a multisectoral coordinating body to drive and ensure accountability so effective actions are taken, progress is tracked, and best practices are used.
● Comprehensive Data: scale up and expand current data sources, and increase data sharing, through new data connection points that will improve Health Canada outcomes.
● Better Education: improve public understanding about diabetes as a disease with tools that are inclusive, focused on the individual, and reduce stigma and inequities.
● More Research: renew innovation with comprehensive research into type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
The lead MP Sonia Sidhu was the guest of PDGN at the International Diabetes Federation Congress in Lisbon this month to report on how it was done. See page 15 for more.