To combat diabetes in aboriginals, Ottawa gives $110 million

This money, in the next 2 years, will go toward the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative (ADI) which offers diabetes-related education along with health resources to communities.

The prevalence of diabetes in Manitoba's aboriginals is four times higher as compared to the general population.

The importance of the initiative hits close to home for Long Plain residents. Mounted on the wall of the health services building where the announcement was made is a quilt with patches commemorating the 50 community members who died from diabetes in recent years.

According to reports, more than 220 million people worldwide have diabetes. An estimated 1.1 million people died from diabetes in 2005. Furthermore, half of diabetes deaths occur to those under the age of 70 years (55% of diabetes deaths are in women). And as per WHO, diabetes deaths will double between 2005 and 2030.

Doctors have suggested that a healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.

Long Plain Chief David Meeches stated that everyone in his community had been hit by the disease, directly or indirectly. He said, “Every one of us in our community have people on that blanket. My mother's on there,"

Elder and former chief Ernie Daniels spoke of his experience battling Type 2 diabetes himself. He said, “Almost four, five times a year . . . I see people dying from diabetes. I see people gone blind. I see people lose their legs — my friends and relatives," Despite everything he has witnessed, Daniels is positive about the programs that can be provided with the federal funding.

He added, "Hopefully they'll prevent our young people from getting this horrible disease."

Before the announcement, Aglukkaq visited a local garden, visited children and spoke in support of healthy lifestyle choices that can help prevent diabetes.
Long Plain chose to name the newly opened baseball diamond after Aglukkaq as a thank you for the funding.