You can help to #MakeFoodAllergyCount with the federal government

You have an opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas with the Ministry of Finance on where the government should prioritize its spending for 2020. They have released a pre-budget consultation survey that is open to the public until February 17, 2020.

If you feel strongly that food allergy should be a federal priority, we encourage you to complete this survey to highlight this need. Your collective voices will help to bring food allergy to the discussion and will enable us to advocate more strongly on your behalf.

Here’s how you can help to elevate food allergy as a federal priority:

• Complete the government’s short online survey by February 17, 2020: https://financecanada.typeform.com/to/qmwsyy

• Under the “health and safety of Canadians” theme, you can identify food allergy as one of the serious challenges facing Canadians (under the “other” category space) by reinforcing some of the messages we’ve heard from you, such as challenges with:
  • accessing accurate ingredient information 
  • affordable and consistent access to epinephrine auto-injectors
  • accessing an allergist or getting a proper diagnosis of food allergy
  • the public understanding of the seriousness of food allergy and how to prevent and treat reactions

• In the survey, you can also recommend the government supports the National Food Allergy Action Plan as a way to prioritize food allergy as a serious medical condition that needs investment.

• At the end of the survey there is an opportunity to add additional comments. You can share your personal food allergy story, and what meaningful government action to support food allergy would mean to your family. Your personal stories are powerful and can make a big impact.

Advocating on your behalf

We are actively engaging with the federal government to #MakeFoodAllergyCount. We provided a pre-budget submission for consideration on implementing the National Food Allergy Action Plan, with specific targeted investments in food allergy management and prevention. Since then, we have continued to speak to federal policymakers and plan to be in Ottawa at the end of February for meetings with Members of Parliament and policy staff.

Thank you in advance for helping to #MakeFoodAllergyCount! It’s important for the federal government to hear directly from Canadians impacted by food allergy. If you have completed the survey, let us know at info@foodallergycanada.ca that you have advocated to make food allergy a federal priority.