The Minister of Health has lost control of a disease that could cost Manitoba taxpayers billions of dollars over the next few years: Gerrard

 Winnipeg – Manitoba Liberal Party Leader and MLA for River Heights, Dr. Jon Gerrard, today challenged the Minister of Health, Teresa Oswald on her funding cut to the province’s chronic disease management branch.  The branch is responsible for a number of policies and intervention programs including surveillance of Manitoba’s chronic diseases, including diabetes. According to government budget estimates, the branch will see a reduction of $37,000 in funding for 2010-20011.  

 “The most recent Diabetes statistics that I have been able to get from the Minister of Health are four-years old.  That is outrageous,” said Gerrard.  “This disease is now occurring at epidemic rates in our province and yet we do not have the relevant information needed to develop a strategy to combat it.  It is negligent for the Minister of Health to cut the budget of the Chronic Disease Branch while a disease like diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions.”

 Gerrard added: “The way the NDP are dealing with the burgeoning diabetes epidemic can best be compared to an ostrich burying its head in the sand.  Premier Selinger failed to mention diabetes in his November throne speech and there was no mention of diabetes in the recent budget. If the epidemic of diabetes continues to go unchecked by the Minister of Health and the NDP, Manitoba taxpayers will be footing a health care bill which could be billions of dollars within the next few years.”

 The most recent figures from the Department of Health are from 2006, and show the prevalence of age-adjusted diabetes in the province as being 5.5%, double the 1989 rate of 2.8%.  The 2006 statistics also show that the highest prevalence of diabetes in Manitoba is found in First Nations people aged 60 to 79 years, who have a 53% prevalence rate of diabetes.

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The Province’s diabetes report can be found at:  http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/chronicdisease/diabetes/docs/diabetes100.pdf  

For more information, please contact: Michelle Nyhof, Communications Officer ,Manitoba Liberal Caucus at (204) 771-2513 or email at michelle.nyhof@leg.gov.mb.ca