Federal Election 2011Background information
Increased funding for lung health research
Innovative research is critical to finding cures for respiratory illnesses and developing more effective disease management approaches. Every significant advance we make in research on lung disease brings the potential for major improvements in patient care and cost-savings to our economy. In particular, effective clinical research – applying the insights gained from primary research to the actual treatment of disease – will lead to fewer emergency room visits, less frequent and shorter hospitalizations and – as a result – lower wait times.
Canada needs to increase funding for lung health research – to lower the heavy burden of lung disease.
While Canada has some of the best researchers in the world in the area of respiratory health, we have come up short in investing in lung research, technologies and treatments that could be of benefit to Canadians. In 2008-09, lung disease accounted for 10% of the burden of major diseases in Canada, yet the federal government invested only 4.5% of total federal research dollars into the causes and exacerbations of lung disease. This is significantly less than the funding allocated to diseases with a similar burden: cancer research received 17.3% of federal funding and cardiovascular 12.6%.
Increased investments in research will translate into more effective treatment and prevention of lung disease, improving the health of Canadians. Since lung diseases are very expensive to treat, this will also bring significant cost savings to our health care system and the Canadian economy.
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The Lung Association is seeking the following commitments from all major political parties for funding research on lung health:
- A promise to increase funding for lung research to match the burden of lung disease within 5 years – i.e. from the current $36 million/yr to $81 million/yr by 2016-17. This would include additional investments to expand research on the causes, diagnosis and treatment of lung disease, as well as build research capacity by supporting trainees and clinician-researchers in pulmonary research.
- A commitment to increase funding for the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, with a special focus on research that will bring early improvements in patient care, reducing hospitalizations and emergency room visits.
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Support increased funding for research on lung disease
Vote for action on lung health!
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