Harper Government Announces Funding to Fight Diabetes in Yukon - Northern announcements kick off Diabetes Awareness Month

Northern announcements kick off Diabetes Awareness Month

WHITEHORSE, YT, Nov. 1, 2012 /CNW/ - The Harper Government kicked off Diabetes Awareness Month with two very different announcements that will help Yukoners prevent and fight diabetes.

"Earlier today my friend and Yukon Member of Parliament Ryan Leef announced that he will be running across Yukon to raise awareness and funds to fuel the battle against diabetes," said the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health.  "I want to commend Ryan for his personal commitment to promote good health, and for his remarkable efforts to help those living with diabetes."

"That's why I'm especially proud today to announce funding for work that will help people here in Yukon avoid developing this disease, and assist those already living with diabetes," added Minister Aglukkaq.

The federal government will be providing funding to the Government of Yukon under the Canadian Diabetes Strategy.  The Yukon government project, A Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Strategy for Yukon, will develop a comprehensive health-based strategy for all residents of Yukon.

"Addressing diabetes is important in the Yukon," said Yukon Health and Social Services Minister Doug Graham. "This project will look at approaches and solutions that are relevant to this community. We are pleased to partner with the federal government to further our strategy, which will make a difference in the way diabetes is prevented and managed here."

Diabetes affects more than two million Canadians and is a particularly prevalent disease in the North; rates of diabetes in Aboriginal populations are three to five times higher than in the general Canadian population.

Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 per cent of diabetes cases in Canada. Physical inactivity and unhealthy eating put Canadians at risk for these illnesses, and these risk factors are growing.  A comprehensive strategy to reduce risk factors in a community-specific way is important to effectively managing diabetes as well as other chronic diseases.

Providing Canadians with information to support the prevention of chronic diseases is a priority for the Government of Canada. The Public Health Agency of Canada's CANRISK questionnaire can help Canadians understand the risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including body weight, ethnicity, physical activity and family history. CANRISK can be found on-line at: www.publichealth.gc.ca/canrisk.

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FACT SHEET            November 2012

DIABETES COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECT IN YUKON

A Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Strategy for Yukon: Developing a comprehensive health-based strategy for all residents of Yukon (Whitehorse)

The Yukon Department of Health and Social Services will receive $130,000 to develop a comprehensive, coordinated, population health-based strategy for chronic disease prevention and management for all of the territory's residents.

This project, funded under the Canadian Diabetes Strategy, will identify chronic disease services and health care providers, review strategic approaches to chronic disease prevention and management, and establish a chronic disease strategy working group with participation from people with diabetes and partners such as the Council of Yukon First Nations. The project will also facilitate strategic meetings with health care providers, administrators and decision makers.

Other project partners include the Yukon Hospital Corporation and the Diabetes Education Centre.

About the Canadian Diabetes Strategy

The Canadian Diabetes Strategy (CDS) receives ongoing annual funding of $18 million through the Integrated Strategy for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease.

• The Government of Canada and its partners address diabetes and related complications through the CDS, which focuses on the prevention, early detection and self-management of all types of diabetes.
• The CDS has raised general awareness of diabetes and its risk factors, and created the first integrated national diabetes surveillance system.
• Through community-based programming, projects are developed to enhance prevention initiatives in high-risk populations, to increase awareness of risk factors, and to help people living with diabetes avoid serious complication

SOURCE: PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY OF CANADA