C-284 – The National Strategy for Eye Care Act – would have the Minister of Health, in consultation with provincial governments and other relevant stakeholders, create a national strategy for preventing and treating eye diseases in Canada.
Measures to be covered by the strategy include:
- Identifying the training needs of health care professionals related to eye disease
- Promote research and data collection on prevention and treatment
- Promote information sharing between the federal and provincial governments regarding eye disease
- Ensure Health Canada is able to rapidly consider new treatments for macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy
The Minister will have one year to create the strategy, and will need to report on its effectiveness five years after that.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month
C-284 would also declare February as “Age-Related Macular Degeneration Month”
Progress
On June 7, 2023 C-284 went up for its Second Reading and passed with everyone voting in favour. It came back from committee unchanged and passed its Third Reading vote with everyone still in favour. It then made its way through the Senate without change and was granted Royal Assent.
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