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Province injects funds into diabetes prevention

Helping to prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes is the goal of $175,000 from the province to the Sudbury and District Health Unit, said Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci.

Helping to prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes is the goal of $175,000 from the province to the Sudbury and District Health Unit, said Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci.

The funding will focus on preventing the onset of Type 2 diabetes by addressing the modifiable risk factors such as physical inactivity, unhealthy eating and mental well-being through community-based health promotion strategies.

“Today’s funding is helping to ensure people have the health-care supports they need to prevent chronic disease such as Type 2 diabetes,” said Bartolucci. “Residents in Sudbury and Manitoulin districts will have access to information promoting healthy habits and behaviours which support positive lifestyle changes and lead to healthy lives.”

It is estimated that the rate of diabetes is significantly higher among Aboriginal people, said Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health, Sudbury and District Health Unit.

“In addition to working toward preventing diabetes among the general population, it is critical that we collaborate with Aboriginal communities and like-minded agencies to integrate an holistic view of health and healing into culturally relevant preventative programs and services,” said Sutcliffe.

Since the launch of the Ontario Diabetes Strategy in June 2008, the government has allocated $5 million each year in funding for health promotion initiatives for diabetes prevention.

The target populations are individuals who are at higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, including Aboriginal, Asian, South-Asian, people of African descent and people in low-income communities.


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