A diabetes interest group in Canada is calling on the government to provide increased financial support for diabetes patients, a strategy specifically for aboriginals, and more funding for research in the wake of poll results that show the disease is a high concern among Canadians, as reported in the Montreal Gazette.
The Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) released survey results in which 90 percent of respondents said the rising rate of diabetes in Canada is having a serious impact on the future of healthcare, and 62 percent of respondents consider that the disease is having a negative impact on the economy.
“We applaud the government has recognized this as an issue, however, the efforts are really dwarfed behind the growing burden and more needs to be done,” Michael Cloutier, the association’s president and CEO, was quoted as saying.
Cloutier said there are 7.6 million Canadians with diabetes or prediabetes. He said that number is projected to increase to 10.8 million by 2020 if changes aren’t made. He added that better and more timely treatment options for Canadians would help curb the trend and reduce costs significantly.
The group said diabetes currently costs the Canadian healthcare system about $11.7 billion annually, and that number is expected to rise to $16 billion by 2020 if the matter is not addressed.
“What’s alarming about this is that 80 percent of the cost of diabetes are actually in the downstream complications of the disease-the heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, leg amputations, and blindness,” Cloutier said. “The actual treatment of diabetes is only 20 percent, so if we can engage in better care and increase access and affordability to all Canadians…we can stem this tide.”
The CDA said that 72 percent of respondents favored more government funding to be applied to the disease when they were informed that one in four Canadians either have diabetes or prediabetes.
When asked why they felt diabetes was on the rise in Canada, 84 percent cited people’s failure to take care of their health, and 81 percent put some of the blame on the food industry.
