Province unveils diabetes action plan

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This article was published 19/07/2023 (820 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A five-year provincial diabetes action plan promises to look at expanding access to blood glucose monitors, medication, devices and foot care services used in diabetes management, while tackling prevention of the disease and mental health support for those diagnosed.

The Manitoba government announced the plan Wednesday, releasing a 36-page document that focuses on prevention, healthy eating, promoting education of all types of diabetes, improving access to supplies and mental health supports, as well as collecting reliable data that would show the “health burden” of diabetes across programs and policies in the province.

The action plan states 9.5 per cent of Manitobans had been diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, as of 2017-18. A decade earlier, that number was at seven per cent.

The report states Manitobans living in the Northern Health region are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes. It included an acknowledgment of the root causes of high diabetes rates in Indigenous communities, stating the prevalence of the condition among Indigenous people living in Manitoba shaped the focus of the action plan.

“The government of Manitoba recognizes that colonial practices, past and present, have contributed to reduced access to culturally safe and relevant care, which has affected health outcomes for Indigenous populations,” the report states.

It includes a goal to work with municipal governments on making neighbourhoods more walkable and improving access to parks and walking paths.