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Indigenous peoples in Canada are among the highest-risk populations for diabetes due to factors, including healthcare barriers. Barriers include fragmented healthcare, a lack of culturally appropriate care and poor chronic disease.

The Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle (“IDHC”) is an organization that provides programs focusing on diabetes education, prevention, and management in Indigenous communities in Ontario, both on and off-reserve and serves First Nation, Métis, and Inuit communities. In collaboration with over 100 partners, IDHC works to develop and distribute culturally appropriate education, promote resources based on community needs, share relevant diabetes research and build capacity.

In recent years, IDHC has developed virtual offerings of their weekly instructor-led training. Drawing on the success of their virtual platform, at their 2022 annual conference, IDHC introduced the idea of a virtual circle “an inclusive community of people with a shared set of problems and interests who come together through the use of technology to empower each other through the creation of safe spaces for learning, innovation, relationship-building, co-creation and activation.” The idea was met with enthusiasm.

In March 2023, IDHC began to map out the vision and roadmap for the VC. A priority of IDHC and the VC is to gain recognition of the IDHC and its partners as trusted and effective advocates for system changes that support Indigenous people and communities in their diabetes wellness journey.

In working towards this priority, in 2023, with funding support from the Lawson Foundation, IDHC held its inaugural National Public Policy Circle Gathering. The inaugural gathering was held in July 2023 in Calgary, AB. It served as a platform for leaders and advocates in the field of Indigenous health policy to come together and engage in discussions on pressing policy issues surrounding Indigenous diabetes. The Gathering brought key subject matter experts from across Canada together to foster dialogue, share best practices, and strategize on initiatives to drive meaningful change in Indigenous diabetes policy.

IDHC engaged MNP LLP to support the 2024 National Public Policy Circle Gathering.  Next steps include circle gatherings of key national stakeholders, annual in-person gathering, engagement of key stakeholders to identify and advocate for policy that promotes Indigenous wellness and identification of change leaders. In progress is the website hub to facilitate the work and annual reports to funder, Lawson Foundation.

Thank you to the Lawson Foundation for its support of this national policy initiative.