Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The main cause of death, disease and disability in Canada and the Northwest Territories today are chronic diseases and injury. However, a large proportion of chronic diseases, disabilities and injuries can be prevented or their onset can be delayed.
Today I’d like to speak to one particular chronic disease that we have in the Northwest Territories and that’s diabetes. Anybody that knows anybody who has diabetes or has suffered from diabetes knows that it can lead to such things as kidney failure, blindness, lower limb amputations as well as risk of heart disease.
Currently, there are about 2,900 NWT residents in the Northwest Territories who are living with diabetes and every year it’s expected that 200 new diagnosis will happen. We do have a high prevalence, and with the increase in childhood obesity as well as obesity throughout our NWT residents, it only puts more people at risk. As well as the personal lifestyle choices that residents of the Northwest Territories have for themselves it also puts them at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The Canadian Diabetes Association recommends that diabetes care is patient-centred and is delivered by a multi-disciplinary team with specific training in diabetes, and focuses on such things as prevention, effective screening and management.
The Canadian Diabetes Association also recommends things such as a Pharmacare program so that people living with diabetes can access medications, devices and supplies they need to manage their disease. They also talked about possibly putting a sugar-sweetened beverage tax on such things as sports drinks, pop, diet pop, juices and, something that we see more prevalently, energy drinks. There is a clear connection between the high consumption of these drinks and the development of type 2 diabetes.
As I mentioned earlier, we do have a lot of NWT residents living with the disease. It’s very prevalent in the Northwest Territories.
I will be asking questions of our Minister of Health today how we’re treating the people with diabetes, but how we’re trying to prevent it and promote the education and awareness. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
