Question Period Note: Diabetes

N/A

• Diabetes is a serious chronic disease, and one of the most common chronic diseases affecting Canadians. It poses many challenges for those living with the disease, their families, and communities, and has various implications for health systems. In all types of diabetes, the body either does not produce enough insulin or is unable to use the insulin it produces effectively. Each type of diabetes may differ with respect to its potential causes, prognosis, and recommended course of treatment. Those who have type 2 diabetes can take steps to control the disease and lower their risk of complications. Canadians living with type 2 diabetes may be at greater risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes. Early intervention has the potential to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes, particularly among those in high-risk subpopulations.
• The Government recognizes the importance of helping Canadians reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases, including diabetes, as well as manage any existing chronic diseases, and is taking action to this end on many fronts.
• On October 5, 2022, the Framework for Diabetes in Canada was tabled in Parliament. This Framework marks an important milestone in our efforts to better support and collaborate with those impacted by diabetes in Canada.
• All sectors and levels are invited to use the Framework to guide actions to address diabetes and in various domains, including prevention; management, treatment and care, and research. The Framework will also guide our ongoing federal efforts in these areas.
• The Government is supporting community-based initiatives that address common risk factors for chronic diseases, including diabetes, by promoting physical activity, healthy eating, and tobacco prevention and cessation. In addition, the Government is supporting research to address causes, prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic diseases, including all forms of diabetes.
• Diabetes is a complex disease, and there is still significant work ahead to ensure better health outcomes for people living with diabetes in Canada. We look forward to continued collaboration with the wide range of partners active in this area.

Approximately 3.4 million Canadians are living with diabetes and more than 200,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Some Canadians, such as First Nations and Métis people, people of African descent, and South and East Asian descent, and people with lower income and education levels have higher rates of type 2 diabetes compared to the general population.

Healthy behaviours (e.g., healthy eating and physical activity) can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and prevent negative diabetes-related health outcomes. Evidence demonstrates that there is an increased risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 (both hospitalization and mortality) among Canadians with type 2 diabetes and those who are obese. COVID-19 is also having a disproportionate impact on specific sub-groups of the population, many of whom are at greater risk of suffering from the health, social and economic effects of the pandemic.

Government of Canada
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) undertakes data collection and analysis of chronic diseases and their risk and protective factors, strengthens collaborations to better track disease trends and risks, and supports the development of policy and program interventions and prevention guidelines for primary care.

PHAC is also supporting community-based initiatives to improve health behaviours and address health inequalities among priority populations at greater risk of developing chronic diseases. In particular, PHAC’s Healthy Canadians and Communities Fund invests approximately $20 million annually and leverages additional funding from partners to support projects that focus on behavioural risk factors, including physical inactivity, and less nutritious patterns of eating and tobacco use that are associated with the major chronic diseases of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

To help Canadians identify their risk of type 2 diabetes and how they can reduce it, PHAC developed CANRISK, the Canadian diabetes risk questionnaire. CANRISK is accessible to Canadians through partnerships with Diabetes Canada, health authorities in provinces and territories across Canada, major drug stores such as Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall and Pharmasave, and others.

From 2017-18 to 2021-22, the Government of Canada, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), invested approximately $250 million in diabetes research.

In Budget 2021, the Government announced $25 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, for diabetes research (including type 1 diabetes), surveillance and prevention, and to work towards the development of a national framework for diabetes. Budget 2021 also announced $10 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, for the Type 2 Diabetes Challenge to attract innovators to develop and implement community designed approaches that address the barriers and determinants that may lead to an increased risks of type 2 diabetes.

As part of these investments, the Government of Canada, through CIHR, recommitted to the JDRF-CIHR Partnership to Defeat Diabetes, investing up to $15 million to be matched by JDRF Canada and its donors. Stemming from this investment, CIHR and JDRF have recently launched or announced the following funding opportunities:
• Team Grant: CIHR-JDRF Type 1 Diabetes and Precision Medicine to support projects relevant to precision medicine and Type 1 Diabetes including genes, metabolic factors, and physiologic characterization. Funding is expected to begin in January 2023.
• Operating Grant: Diabetes, Psychosocial Health, Prevention and Self-Management to fund research to improve psychosocial health and associated outcomes for people living with Type 1 Diabetes. Funding is expected to begin in April 2023.
• CIHR-JDRF Type 1 Diabetes Screening Research Consortium: Announced recently to investigate the feasibility of Type 1 Diabetes screening in the general population in Canada. Registration for this competition is anticipated to begin in fall 2022.
Parliament
On April 10, 2019, the Standing Committee on Health (HESA) released its report entitled A Diabetes Strategy for Canada. The Government Response to this report was tabled in Parliament on June 23, 2021.

In June 2019, the House of Commons passed a motion (M-173) designating the month of November as Diabetes Awareness Month.

On February 27, 2020, Member of Parliament Sonia Sidhu (Liberal – Ontario) introduced Bill C 237, which calls on the Minister of Health, in consultation with stakeholders, to develop a framework designed to support improved access to diabetes prevention and treatment to ensure better health outcomes for Canadians.

The National Framework for Diabetes Act received Royal Assent on June 29, 2021. Following an extensive engagement period with key stakeholders and Indigenous partners, the Framework for Diabetes in Canada (Framework) was tabled by the federal Minister of Health on October 5, 2022.

The Framework aims to provide a common policy direction to address diabetes in Canada, including for populations at elevated risk of developing diabetes, people living with diabetes and their caregivers, Indigenous populations, non-governmental organizations, health care professionals, researchers, and all levels of government. It lays the foundation for collaborative and complementary action by all sectors of society to improve access to diabetes prevention and treatment, and ensure better health outcomes for people living in Canada.

The Framework was derived from, and builds on, what was heard during an engagement process with people in Canada and with key stakeholders. An Indigenous-led engagement process is underway with Indigenous organizations, which will help identify priorities and ways forward to address diabetes among Indigenous Peoples.

• Approximately 3.4 million Canadians are living with diabetes; more than 200,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
• There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. Other types are uncommon. It is estimated that approximately 90% of cases are type 2, 9% of cases are type 1, and gestational and other types of diabetes account for less than 1% of all cases.
• Some Canadians, such as First Nations and Métis people, people of African descent, and South and East Asian descent, and people with lower income and education levels have higher rates of type 2 diabetes compared to the general population.
• Healthy behaviours (e.g., healthy eating and physical activity) can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and prevent negative diabetes-related health outcomes.