Individuals with diabetes cannot regulate their blood sugar properly. Diabetes causes many physical health issues, and it is the cause of death for more than 7,000 Canadians every year. Diabetes also affects the mental health of people who have diabetes, as well as their families. If the rate of diabetes in Canada continues to increase, there will be major costs to the health care system.

Most people in Canada (90 %) living with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Many factors contribute to the risk that a person will get type 2 diabetes. Some factors, such as genetics, cannot be changed. Other factors, such as poor nutrition (which is often linked to poverty) could be changed with the right resources.

Some people are more likely to get type 2 diabetes than others. Indigenous peoples in Canada are at much greater risk of getting diabetes than some other Canadians. They are also more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes at a younger age than other Canadians. Seniors and individuals of South Asian, East Asian and African ethnic backgrounds are also at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than other population groups in Canada, as are people with low incomes.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, and the body stops producing enough insulin to keep a person’s blood sugar at the right level. Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented. Someone with type 1 diabetes will always have to use insulin, either through daily injections or through an insulin pump.

Many people who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes cannot afford the medications, supplies, or equipment that they need to manage their blood sugar in the best way that they can. Some provinces and territories pay for more medications, supplies and equipment than others. This situation means that some people in Canada have access to fewer tools to manage their diabetes because of where they live.

Also, some people do not have access to the health care services that they need to manage their diabetes. In some cases, lack of access to health care services, or lack of access to the right health care services means that people are not being screened properly for diabetes.

The Committee’s recommendations are intended to help the Government of Canada find better ways to prevent people from getting type 2 diabetes and provide more support to people who have diabetes. One of the Committee’s main recommendations is that the federal government work with the provinces and territories and key stakeholders to create a national plan to help prevent and manage diabetes in Canada.