Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee members.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada is involved in communities all over the country. Our mission is to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery for all Canadians. Working with the federal government and with you is of major importance and allows us to set some lofty objectives.
We have focused on three main initiatives that must be undertaken immediately in order to improve the health of Canadians. We propose the creation of a fund, financed by the federal government, to promote a healthy lifestyle, universal access to medications, and a national program committed to the cardiovascular health of women.
A federally financed healthy living fund is necessary because of the alarming and growing rates of chronic diseases throughout Canada. This epidemic is a time bomb for federal and provincial governments' expenditures in health.
In this context, Canada's healthy eating strategy is a very necessary step. We look forward to Health Canada's completion of the implementation of the strategy consistent with the government's mandate, but we need to build beyond the current building blocks of the healthy eating strategy.
Important new initiatives that need to be funded through a healthy living fund include vegetable and fruit subsidies, universal healthy lunch school programs and improvements to the food security programs that serve the indigenous populations in Canada's north. These could have significant impacts in terms of improved health and the productivity of our economy.
To be cost neutral, a healthy living fund should be financed by a levy on the manufacturers of sugary drinks, these drinks being the main contributor to excess sugar consumption in our diet. It is estimated that such a levy could generate $1.7 billion a year in revenue. This levy should be an excise tax based on volume, and it should increase at the rate of the amount of free sugars per unit, as is done elsewhere in the world.
This levy could postpone 13,000 deaths and save half a million disability-adjusted life-years, therefore enabling more productivity in our workforce. Collectively, these changes could save almost $7.3 million in health care costs over 25 years. The healthy living fund would be cost neutral and would be enabled by the levy that I have just discussed.
As a way to managing chronic disease in the country, a fair and universal pharmacare system is essential in order to improve medical adherence, to shorten hospital stays, and to lessen the demand for medical services, which would reduce costs for the health care system.
From the sex- and gender-based analysis conducted by the government, we know that women are particularly affected by difficult access to medication and by a lack of coverage. All across the country, we can see that young people, low-income families, indigenous people, and women have the most difficulty paying for the medication they need.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada is therefore asking the federal government to provide funds to establish a fair and universal national pharmacare program. The program must be implemented in collaboration with provincial governments and indigenous peoples. In addition, it must improve access to effective, less expensive and necessary medications for all Canadians, regardless of their place of residence, their sex, their gender, their age, or their ability to pay. It must also lead to improvements in the non-insured health benefits program for indigenous peoples.
Supporting those living with heart disease and stroke, especially women, is important. Heart disease is the leading cause of premature mortality among women in Canada, and women who survive strokes have worse outcomes than men. We need significant resources to address the systemic issues that have resulted in women being under-researched, underdiagnosed, undertreated, under-supported and under-aware of both heart disease and stroke.
System change will take time. While we're advocating for change at all levels, we first need to hear more from those who are directly affected by heart disease and stroke. We seek to lead a nationwide program to engage women to share their experiences and to build solutions around the health-based inequities they face.
We are therefore calling on the federal government to commit $5 million over five years for a nationwide engagement program that can increase women's participation in research, and support proper diagnosis and treatment while enhancing information sharing about prevention and risks.
Mr. Chair, distinguished members of Parliament, thank you for your attention.
I am happy to answer your questions.