The Public Health Agency of Canada on Monday announced nearly $1 million in funding to support Canadian Diabetes efforts across Canada.
The funding comes after a global study released last week reported that the number of people with diabetes worldwide is expected to surge from 529 million to 1.3 billion by 2050. It is.
“Unfortunately, we’re seeing developments like that here in Canada,” Laura Shiron, CEO and president of the Canadian Diabetes Association, told CTVNews.ca on Tuesday.
According to Health Canada, approximately 3.6 million Canadians will be living with diabetes in 2019-2020, with more than 200,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
Shillong explained that the $998,450 will be spread forward over three years. Diabetes Framework in Canada Bringing together partners across the country to share best practices in their respective healthcare systems, including drug coverage, preventive measures and screening.
Is your healthcare system ready for more cases?
With the number of diabetics projected to soar in Canada and around the world in the next few years, the question of the readiness of Canada’s healthcare system has become prominent.
Harpreet Bajaj, an endocrinologist and post-doctoral research director at LMC Healthcare, told CTVNews.ca that the answer is “no.”
“I don’t think it’s ready yet. Even with the cases we have,[the system]has reached its limits,” he told CTVNews.ca on Tuesday.
“We don’t have the tools or the manpower.”
Bajajji said more digital solutions need to be put in place to deal with the rising number of people with diabetes and a weak healthcare system, as well as alleviate current restrictions.
“We need to think outside the box and do more public education on all kinds of prevention on social media,” he says.
Why are infected people increasing?
According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, Ontario has the highest number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the nation, with 4.8 million people. British Columbia has the second-highest number of cases, with just over 1.6 million, followed by Alberta with nearly 1.3 million.
Cyron said the rise in the number of people with diabetes in Canada is due to several factors, from an aging population to lifestyle choices and access to healthy foods.
“How can we ensure that people with a diagnosis have the best quality of life if they can’t afford healthy food? Because food affordability has changed. If we can’t, we also need drugs and new technologies,” she said.
Genetics also play a role in the diagnosis of diabetes. As the country’s population grows, even people who have a healthy lifestyle and eat well can get diagnosed if they have a genetic factor.
“I think there’s a lot of stigma and misconceptions about diabetes,” Cylon said. She herself has diabetes and says she often feels “guilt and blame” because people think diabetes is simply a by-product of poor diet and lack of exercise.
The Canadian Diabetes Association has announced that it will launch a survey in the coming months to gauge public perceptions and experiences of the disease and to address stereotypes surrounding the disease.
In addition, there is COVID-19, Cyron added, explaining how the pandemic has affected people’s activity levels and slowed access to primary health care providers.
“Unfortunately, what we’re seeing is people with advanced diabetes who miss out on the opportunity to say, ‘You might be pre-diabetic,'” she says.
According to Angus Reed data released in 2022, a third of Canadians are unable to see a doctor within a week, and a further 17% never find a doctor despite their efforts. I couldn’t do it. The report also says that more than 6 million people in Canada do not have a primary care doctor.
Bajaj recommends people take a short online test called ”. Kanrisk To test yourself at home if you are unable to get a blood test or see a healthcare professional.
industry development
At the 83rd American Diabetes Association Congress in San Diego, Calif., Mr. Bajajri presents the clinical development of ICODEC, a once-weekly insulin pump that could change the status quo of daily dosing for diabetics. bottom.
“It’s been over 100 years since insulin was discovered in 1920. We’ve come a long way,” he said.
If approved, this development would reduce scheduled injections for diabetics from daily to weekly. Bajaj expects it to be approved by Health Canada and made generally available by this time next year.
In addition, there is a paradigm shift in weight management medicine.
“There was a new study published by the ADA. A new pharmacotherapeutic agent could actually lead to about the same amount of weight loss as bariatric surgery,” Bajaji said.
Although some people with type 2 diabetes choose weight loss surgery, many shy away from it “because of its permanent and invasive nature,” he explained.
Diabetes is a complex disease that affects multiple parts of the body and can lead to heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, non-traumatic amputations and even blindness, Bajaj said.
The results of this study demonstrate that reprioritizing diabetes guidelines and giving the right drugs to the right people can provide additional protection against the complications of type 2 diabetes, he said. Stated.
