Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my questions to the health Minister stem from my Member's statement regarding diabetes.
Canada's framework for diabetes acknowledges a selfreported rate of diabetes among First Nations and Metis adults is, respectfully, 1.9 to 1.5 times that of nonIndigenous adults. And the number rises to 4.7 percent among Inuit.
The report also notes cases of diabetes in Indigenous communities are often more severe than those in the general population. My question is what is the health Minister doing specifically to address the rate of diabetes among Indigenous people in the NWT, especially the Indigenous communities? Mahsi.
Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we don't have a specific Indigenous diabetes approach but we are well aware that this is a disease that has a greater effect on Indigenous people, and men in particular, and so that's something that we work with awareness of.
We started some primary healthcare reform projects in the last year, and one of the aims of these is to improve access to services for people who have chronic conditions. So the planning is underway now to expand the primary healthcare reform projects to the Deh Cho, Tlicho, Beaufort Delta, and Hay River regions. So with that, the Member should be able to see some changes in his community around chronic disease management. Thank you.
Mahsi, Madam Speaker, and mahsi to the Minister for that. I think she took care of my second question so I'll move on to my third one.
Madam Speaker, can the Minister commit to increase diabetes awareness and education in small communities and the consequences of untreated diabetes in a culturally relevant setting. Mahsi.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we have a territorial specialist of chronic disease management who has been in the position since May of 2019. It's that person's job to research and provide recommendations on patient care standards related to chronic disease management services. The focus is on providing culturally appropriate and standardized diabetes programming by working with all of the communitybased dieticians to ensure that that's the case. Thank you.
Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, can the Minister commit to including screening efforts in small communities in a culturally relevant setting where people are empowered to get tested? Mahsi.
Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this is a timely question. All persons, regardless of where they live, are offered screening for diabetes. That's an inventory of risk factors and then a blood test which would confirm whether the person is diabetic or prediabetic.
I'm pleased to say that work is going to begin this year, and ongoing for three years, to work with families who are living with type two diabetes to develop culturally relevant diabetes education materials and programming and looking also at ontheland camps that would be specifically for intergenerational families affected by diabetes. So planning is going to begin on developing and putting out this initiative in the next few months. And I welcome the Member to ask me additional questions in the winter session. Thank you.
Thank you. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
