Toronto – Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in Canada, affecting approximately 3.6 million people – and more than 200,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. The number of people living with diabetes is expected to continue rising as Canada’s population ages and grows.
Sonia Sidhu, MP for Brampton South, on behalf of Mark Holland, Minister of Health, and Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, announced the final stage and seven finalists in the Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Challenge.
This Challenge is among the innovative ways that the Public Health Agency of Canada supports chronic disease prevention in Canada. Launched in fall 2022 in partnership with Impact Canada, the Challenge has attracted innovators to develop and implement community co-designed approaches that address the barriers and influences that can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Each finalist will receive a $600,000 prize, for a total of $4.2 million, to demonstrate the effectiveness of their concept. The Challenge will empower Canadian communities to safeguard their health by providing them with tools and resources to learn and adopt healthy behaviours to prevent type 2 diabetes or mitigate negative diabetes-related health conditions.
The finalists will have 18 to 21 months to implement their concepts. Results will be submitted to the panel of judges for review and assessment, and up to two winners will be selected to receive a $1.25 million grand prize.
“This Challenge will help bring innovation to how we address diabetes in Canada, alongside our National Pharmacare plan, where we are working to ensure all Canadians can access the diabetes medications they need. I’d like to express my gratitude to all challenge participants.”- Mark Holland, Minister of Health
“This Challenge supports our goal of improving the health of Canadians by encouraging healthy and active lifestyles. Physical activity is proven to help prevent chronic disease, like diabetes, as well as improve our overall physical and mental health. Thank you to all of the participants and congratulations to the finalists.” – Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Physical Activity