The goal of joining the Cities for Better Health (CBH) (formerly Cities Changing Diabetes) is to help bring down rates of type 2 diabetes in Mississauga by focusing on reducing obesity and increasing disease prevention to limit the rise of the disease in our community.
By joining the Cities for Better Health, the City will be able to:
- Understand our own urban diabetes challenge
- Set our own unique goals to lower type 2 diabetes in Mississauga
- Work with interested groups to unite behind a common cause
- Develop a Mississauga Healthy City Strategy
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1June 2021
City of Mississauga joined Cities for Better Health
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2September to December 2021
Former Mayor Bonnie Crombie hosted community round tables
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3November 2021
Members of Council signed the Urban Diabetes Declaration
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42022 to 2024
Develop a Mississauga Healthy City Strategy with key partners and community members
Public engagement
In 2021, the Mayor hosted three community round tables to start the conversation about diabetes and discuss ideas to educate and work toward prevention strategies.
We know that over 50% of Peel residents identify as Asian, Arab, Black, Hispanic or Indigenous peoples, and these groups are at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.1,2 In the fall of 2021, the City of Mississauga held three sessions to discuss its diabetes challenge. These sessions were with the South Asian community, the Black community, as well as the business and not-for-profit communities.
In summer 2023, the City initiated community engagement toward building a Mississauga Healthy City Strategy.
1 Statistics Canada, Census 2016
2 Region of Peel Public Health, The Changing Landscape of Health in Peel: A Comprehensive Health Status Report, 2019
Background
Type 2 diabetes is affecting a growing number of residents in Mississauga. By 2024, it is projected that there will be more than 100,000 new diabetes cases in Peel Region.
The City of Mississauga is the only active Canadian municipality to become a member of Cities for Better Health.
The initiative launched in 2014 by the Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, University College London and Novo Nordisk to address the growth of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Today, it has established local partnerships in an estimated 40 cities around the world, reaching more than 175 million individuals to help prevent and control urban diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a serious medical condition that affects the way the body regulates and uses sugar as fuel. This long-term (chronic) condition results in too much sugar circulating in the bloodstream.
However, the development of type 2 diabetes and its side effects, including severe complications, can be prevented if detected and effectively managed at an early stage. When left untreated, it can lead to serious complications, including heart disease, kidney and nerve damage and stroke.
Cases of type 2 diabetes in Peel Region increased by 182% between 1996 and 2015.
One in six adults living in Peel Region, aged 45 to 64, has this preventable disease, and one in three after age 65.
Type 2 diabetes is putting an added strain on our public health agencies and healthcare systems. The projected healthcare cost of diabetes in Peel Region is estimated to be $689 million in 2024.
Approximately, 53.6% of Peel Region residents are overweight or obese, which is the single, biggest risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, 51.3% of adults in Peel Region identify as Asian, South Asian, Arab, Black and Hispanic ethnic groups and Indigenous peoples are at an increased risk of getting type 2 diabetes.
In February 2021, the City welcomed a new research hub in Mississauga, funded by Novo Nordisk, a global health-care company, and the University of Toronto (U of T).
Located at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) campus, it brings leading public health experts together to help reduce global diseases and illness like diabetes.
Novo Nordisk and UTM have invested $40 million to establish the Novo Nordisk Network for Healthy Populations to address the rise in chronic diseases and diabetes.
- Introducing a Healthy Food and Beverage Policy for Recreation Facilities to promote healthier eating by increasing the range of healthier food and beverage choices available through Concession Services and vending machines
- Implementing the Cycling Master Plan, planning and programming improvements to the City’s cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, developing and implementing education and awareness programs and events related to active transportation and building new multi-use trails and protected cycling infrastructure to encourage a more active lifestyle
- Offering and promoting healthy living activities such as fitness and wellness programs and the management and operation of more than 500 parks and supporting trail networks
- Implementing the Economic Development Strategy that promotes a more human-centred approach to development, decreasing residents’ reliance on cars and creating an environment that is more welcoming for walking to boost activity levels
- Initiating a two-year pilot program: Healthy by Design Questionnaire that evaluates development applications from a health perspective
- Adoption of Resolution 0207-2020 to address systemic discrimination and inequities within Mississauga, including accessibility to resources, services and supports for Black and Indigenous residents
- Managing a community gardens program which provides residents access to shared spaces to grow food and encourage active and healthy living
- Developing an Urban Agriculture Strategy to identify the City’s role in supporting corporate and community efforts to increase urban-scale food production across Mississauga
- Hosting webinars with community partners and stakeholders to raise awareness on diabetes prevention
For more information, download the City of Mississauga diabetes fact sheet.
Ruth Marland, MCIP, RPP
Strategic Leader
Strategic Initiatives, City Manager’s Office
905-615-3200 ext. 5827
ruth.marland@mississauga.ca
