Diabetes initiative addresses problem

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Being diagnosed with a chronic disease is never an easy thing, but it is something that more and more of Canada's Aboriginal populace are facing. Diabetes, a disease that interferes with the body's ability to use the sugars in food, is widespread among both the First Nations and Metis populations, and its prevalence is only increasing as people are tested and identified.

To spread awareness of the problem, and to help those with diabetes understand and live with it, dozens of federally-funded, community-based programs have been established.

"Diabetes rates in the Aboriginal population are three to five times the rates in the general population," said Maureen Thompson, program manager of the federal government's Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative. "There is earlier onset of the disease as well, which means an earlier onset of complications."

Many of these complications can be minimized or avoided with early detection and treatment, which is why the majority of programs are currently focused on spreading awareness. Many factors are known to affect diabetes susceptibility-obesity, poor eating habits, smoking, alcohol consumption and lack of exercise all increase the odds of developing the disease. By informing the Aboriginal community of such factors, health care professionals hope to finally stop the rise in First Nations and Metis diabetes rates, or at least slow their growth.

"A lot of Aboriginal people don't realize they're in a higher risk category. Letting people know that they are at risk, that's one of our big things," said Melissa Jones, the provincial diabetes co-ordinator for the Metis Nation of Ontario.

It was only in the past decade that health statistics identified the problem. The reasons for the trend are not fully understood, but there is speculation that Aboriginal bodies are genetically conditioned to function on less food. With the introduction of the European lifestyle, their bodies are now having difficulty adapting to an abundance of food that can be had without long, exhausting hunts.

Although the Aboriginal community is being hit hardest by this manageable, but potentially debilitating disease, the abundance of food and more seditary lifestyles are causing diabetes rates to rise across North America.

From 1998/99 to 2000/01, rates reported by Health Canada increased from three to 4.1 per cent. In 1999, the government announced its Canadian diabetes strategy, and a program funding commitment of $115 million over five years. Fifty-eight million dollars of that sum is going to the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative.

"What we tried to do was put together programs that were specific and culturally appropriate to the different groups [on- and off-reserve First Nations, Metis and Inuit], something that met their specific needs, rather than a one size fits all made in Ottawa solution," said Thompson. "Programs were developed, and are being administered by people at the community level, so capacity is being established at that level for ongoing programming."

It was this federal support that created Jones' position with the Metis Nation of Ontario, and only a year into the job, she is working hard to educate communities and train local health care providers on diabetes.

"I try to stress awareness and prevention to people," Jones said. "It's always scary to find out you have diabetes, but maybe now that people and physicians are more aware of the problem, more people will seek help."