OTTAWA, April 10, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JDRF is very pleased with the 11 recommendations made today by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health in their report: A Diabetes Strategy for Canada, in alignment with the organization’s recommendations included in their 2019 pre-budget submission. JDRF urges the Government to adopt all of the recommendations in today’s report as soon as possible.
“I want to express JDRF Canada’s gratitude to the House of Commons Health Committee for undertaking this important study and making a number of recommendations that truly look to address some of the challenges faced by T1D families,” said Dave Prowten, President and CEO of JDRF Canada. “We hope the Government can move quickly on implementing the recommendations of the Committee.”

Prowten along with JDRF Government Relations Director, Patrick Tohill appeared before the Committee in both May and October of 2018 to make recommendations on how the Federal Government can improve the lives of Canadians living with type 1 diabetes. JDRF is particularly pleased to see that a number of our recommendations have now been endorsed by the House of Commons Health Committee, including:

• The development of a national diabetes strategy
• The creation of a national diabetes registry
• Addressing accessibility issues with the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) through:
  • Recognizing time spent preparing meals, making adjustments to the intake of a suitable diet prescribed by a medical practitioner or on formula calculations that are required to manage diabetes in the time requirement for DTC eligibility and
  • Reducing the number of hours spent on therapy-related activities per week required in order for an individual to be eligible for the DTC
• Identifying ways of addressing the high prices of long-acting insulin in Canada and
• The continuation of funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for research into preventing and treating type 1 and type 2 diabetes

JDRF was also very pleased to see the Committee recommend that the Government of Canada hold discussions with the provinces and territories to explore possible approaches to providing uniform coverage for diabetes-related medications, supplies and equipment across Canada.
JDRF looks forward to working with the Government of Canada on improving the lives of Canadians living with type 1 diabetes and sees the recommendations made today by the House of Commons Health committee as a map forward for this important work. 

About JDRF

JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research. Our goal is to raise funds to support the most advanced international type one diabetes research and progressively remove the impact of this disease from people’s lives – until we achieve a world without type 1 diabetes. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners and is the only organization with the scientific resources, regulatory influence, and a working plan to better treat, prevent, and eventually cure type 1 diabetes. JDRF is the largest charitable supporter of type 1 diabetes research. For more information, please visit jdrf.ca.         

Media contact
Soledad Vega
Marketing and Communications Manager
JDRF Canada
647-459-7881
svega@jdrf.ca