Canada's Ontario province is spending 741 million Canadian dollars (741 million U.S. dollars) over the next four years to fight against diabetes in an effort to head off the growing spate of health problems related to the disease, Xinhua quoted Health Minister David Caplan as saying. Starting from September, residents with Type-1 diabetes will be eligible to receive free insulin pumps under the initiative, Caplan told a news conference in Toronto. The plan will also include an online registry beginning next spring that will assist patients in the management of their condition and aid health care providers in checking patient records, he added. The plan also includes a campaign to raise awareness about the causes of diabetes, as well as focused education for higher-risk populations. As Canada's most populous province, the number of residents with diabetes in Ontario has increased by 69 percent over the last10 years and is projected to grow from 900,000 to 1.2 million by 2010. Karen Philip of the Canadian Diabetes Association said the plan will allow diabetics to better manage their disease and reduce the complications that can result in hospital overcrowding, including strokes and heart and kidney disease. One in ten hospital beds in the province is occupied by a patient either with diabetes or suffering from complications, she added. Treatment for diabetes and related conditions currently costs Ontario more than 5 billion Canadian dollars (5 billion U.S. dollars) each year.
