Editor: The Standard
As a person living with diabetes, I am greatly concerned that in this federal election our politicians are not actually talking about the real issues affecting the health of Canadians like me.
Diabetes is a national health crisis, and Canada is at a tipping point.
The Canadian Diabetes Association reports that there are more than nine million Canadians living with diabetes or prediabetes, costing Canada almost $12 billion a year.
More than 6,000 Canadians are dying each and every month due to diabetes or a diabetes-related complication.
Many people living with diabetes can’t afford their medications and don’t have access to the health-care services and tools they need to manage their disease.
Canadians deserve answers to the tough questions like:
What is the government going to do to make essential medication and supplies affordable?
How are they going to ensure equitable access to healthcare services ?
And what are they going to do to support scientific research to help find the medical cures or innovations we need?
These are the real issues, affecting real people. I would hope that our politicians would give us real answers
Donald Boxall, member, Hope Branch, Canadian Diabetes Association