Creation of a Provincial Wellness Foundation

WHEREAS chronic diseases have a major impact on the physical and economic health of Albertans and new cases are expected to rise in Alberta as the population increases and ages;

WHEREAS the impact of preventable chronic disease is felt beyond the affected individual and has a ripple effect on the social and economic health of families, workplaces and communities;

WHEREAS the direct and indirect costs resulting from chronic disease (i.e. cancer, heart disease, respiratory disease, diabetes) and other interrelated risk factors (i.e. obesity, mental illness) are a significant burden for all Albertans;

WHEREAS unless future cases of chronic disease in Alberta can be prevented, our financially pressured and highly valued healthcare system will be inadequate to meet these acute care demands and will be unsustainable;

WHEREAS isolated gains have been made in improving the health status of Albertans, a new approach for preventing chronic disease is required to significantly improve health outcomes and to reduce the substantial demands on our health care system; and

WHEREAS the Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention recommends the creation of an independent, sustained and adequately funded provincial wellness foundation dedicated to promoting health and preventing chronic disease and disability in Alberta.