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The need for much better action to prevent type 2 diabetes

 On Thursday April 7, in Question Period, I brought up the results of a recent study in the United States which shows an alarming increase in the number of young people with prediabetes.  It has risen from 11 per cent of youth in the year 2000, to 28 percent of youth since the latest year.  The article can be found by clicking on this https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2790364

Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Madam Speaker, for 23 years I've called on the gov­ern­ment to implement effective measures to prevent diabetes. For 23 years, NDP and Conservative gov­ern­ments have failed to do this.

      Since 2000, the number of youth with prediabetes in the US has jumped from 11 per cent to 28 per cent, a shocking and stunning increase. I table the scientific paper.

      The costs of inaction are large to the health of individuals and in costs to our health-care system. A diabetes strategy which primarily provides more dialysis treatments and cardiovascular treatments is simply not affordable with this diabetes tsunami.

      Will the gov­ern­ment do what needs to be done and fund a major effort to prevent diabetes in next week's budget?

Hon. Sarah Guillemard (Minister of Mental Health and Community Wellness): I ap­pre­ciate the question coming from the member opposite about diabetes.

      As the mother of a type 1 diabetic myself, it is close to my heart and it also falls within my portfolio, the Diabetes Strategy, which we are happy to work on with our federal counterparts here in Manitoba. And I look forward to, as well, the budget coming up next Tuesday where we'll hear more good news coming out of our gov­ern­ment and the invest­ments we're going to be making in mental health and in wellness.

      Thank you.

 [In spite of the Minister's response to my question, the budget did not contain funding for or even mention of a major effort to prevent diabetes.]

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