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Diabetes Cost Model released in Ontario
On September 8, 2010, the Canadian Diabetes Association released the findings from its Ontario Diabetes Cost Model. The model showed the cost and prevalence of diabetes in the province has risen sharply over the last 10 years and, without action, will continue to increase substantially over the next 10 years.
It’s estimated the direct and indirect financial impact of diabetes in Ontario currently costs the province $4.9 billion per year. By 2020, these costs will increase to $7 billion per year if action is not taken.
The economic burden of diabetes represents only a part of Ontario’s challenge. The human cost of the disease is also reaching epidemic proportions in the province. The Ontario Diabetes Cost Model estimates that there are currently 1.2 million people, or 8.2 per cent of the population, diagnosed with diabetes in Ontario – increasing to more than 1.9 million people, or 11.9 per cent of the population, by 2020. These figures do not include people undiagnosed with diabetes or people living with prediabetes, where blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for an individual to be diagnosed with the disease.
One in four Ontarians will be living either with diabetes or prediabetes by 2020. Turning the tide against diabetes requires a significant shift in government approach, private sector involvement and broad-based personal and societal change.
To offset the burden caused by diabetes, the Canadian Diabetes Association has recommended that the government adjust its current Ontario Diabetes Strategy to reflect three key priorities: a broad-based diabetes prevention strategy, a targeted population-at-risk strategy and a diabetes complications prevention strategy.
Who were present?
• President and CEO of the Canadian Diabetes Association
• MPPs
• Leading industry professionals and doctors
• Parents and children with diabetes
• Statistician who developed the report
• Media
The report touched more than 100 media outlets in Ontario, including CBC, The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, The Ottawa Citizen, and was also reported on internationally, eventually exceeding 28 million media impressions.
This is the second provincial cost model report released by the Canadian Diabetes Association. The first report was released this past May for New Brunswick. The Association will continue to roll out diabetes cost models for all provinces and territories. The first overarching report was the “Economic Tsunami: The Cost of Diabetes in Canada” report released last year.