An economic tsunami - Canadian Diabetes Association

Executive summary
This report highlights the dramatic
increase in the prevalence of diabetes in
Canada over the last decade and provides
a sobering view of the outlook for the next
decade. Diabetes is a chronic disease that
affects not only the health of people living
with diabetes, but also imposes significant
direct and indirect costs on them and
on society as a whole. These costs have
escalated sharply over the last decade and
are expected to continue their rapid ascent
for the foreseeable future.
This report introduces a Canadian Diabetes Cost Model
that, for the first time, uses Canadian National Diabetes
Surveillance System (NDSS) data and the Economic
Burden of Illness (EBIC) in Canada approach to calculate
the prevalence and the economic burden of diabetes
in Canada. The Model is a powerful tool designed to
provide insight into the prevalence and costs of diabetes.
In addition, it explores the potential benefits of initiatives
designed to delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes
and reduce the occurrence and severity of complications
arising from the disease for people living with diabetes.
Prevalence
The number of people diagnosed with diabetes in Canada
is expected to double between 2000 and 2010, from
1.3 million to about 2.5 million. More than 20 people
are diagnosed with the disease every hour of every day.
While the number of diagnosed Canadians is large, it is
estimated that an additional 700,000 have the disease but
don’t know it.
From 2010 to 2020, another 1.2 million people are
expected to be diagnosed with diabetes, bringing the total
to about 3.7 million. These increases escalate the share
of the total population with diabetes from 4.2% in 2000
to 7.3% in 2010 to 9.9% in 2020. Rising obesity rates,
sedentary lifestyles, an aging population, and changes in
the ethnic mix of new immigrants have and will continue
to drive these increases.
The economic burden
Diabetes is a personal crisis for people living with the
disease, and for their family. Diabetes is also a financial
crisis for our healthcare system. It is consuming an
ever-larger share of provincial and territorial healthcare
budgets, and will force an increase in those expenditures.
The economic burden of diabetes in Canada is expected
to be about $12.2 billion in 2010, measured in inflationadjusted
2005 dollars. This is an increase of $5.9 billion
or nearly double its level in 2000. The cost of the disease
is expected to rise by another $4.7 billion by 2020. The
direct cost of diabetes now accounts for about 3.5% of
public healthcare spending in Canada and this share is
likely to continue rising given the expected increase in
the number of people living with diabetes in Canada.
[ More than 20 people are
diagnosed with the disease
every hour of every day. ]
The Canadian Diabetes Cost Model
– its potential and next steps
The Model provides the first comprehensive picture
of the economic impact of type 1 and type 2 diabetes
on Canadian society. It has the potential to accomplish
much more with respect to developing provincial
costing models and cost benefit assessments of diabetes
intervention and prevention strategies.
The Canadian Diabetes Association will be exploring
these and other ways that the Model can assist the
Association and governments in developing effective
diabetes policies and strategies. In the meantime, the
Association calls upon governments to take immediate
action in a number of key areas, including the
enhancement of the Canadian Diabetes Strategy and the
renewal of the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative, enhanced
tax strategies for people living with diabetes and further
investment into diabetes research.
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