Ahead of the Quebec general election next month, the Canadian Cancer Society – Quebec Division is lobbying political leaders to make cancer treatment and prevention a top election issue.
On Monday, the Canadian Caner Society (CCS) mailed a questionnaire to all registered political parties to find out their position on cancer treatment and smoking prevention in the province.
According to Fedida Gaelle, advocacy director at the CCS, the organization wants party leaders to address four main issues: increasing the accessibility of palliative care; relieving the financial burden of the disease; getting more cancer drugs covered by the health care system; and amending the tobacco act.
Once the politicians have responded, the CCS plans to issue a press release detailing their answers.
“The authorities have to take care of the health of the population,” said Gaelle. “It’s really about putting authorities in front of their responsibilities for what they have to face. We will take any opportunity to be vocal about these patients’ challenges. At the end of the day, if there is no political willingness there’s no progress.”
The organization has also launched a microsite, Passezalaction.Cancer.ca, to give voters a chance to send candidates in their riding a personal or form email to voice their support of the group’s initiatives.
The CCS is further engaging the public at upcoming fundraising event Relay for Life (an overnight relay that takes place in more than 500 Canadian communities) by inviting people to sign postcards addressed to their future Member of Parliament, as well as the directors of 16 health agencies, pushing for better and more accessible palliative care.
Gaelle said the response from Quebecers has been overwhelmingly positive so far. “We were a bit skeptical at first; we worried that speaking openly about palliative care might scare people,” she said. “I’m more than satisfied with the outcome; people are extremely happy that it’s on the table.”
According to the CCS, more than 4,500 Quebecers will be diagnosed with cancer by the time the election campaign ends, and 1,925 will die from it. Each day in the province, 28 people die from smoking-related illnesses.
CCS has also published an open letter in a dozen local newspapers, Gaelle said. The letter, addressed to three party leaders who have each previously held the position of Minister of Health, asks “What do you do about 28 dead today in Quebec?”
Gaelle said there is no marketing campaign to support this initiative, and all PR is being handed in-house. The 41st Quebec general election is scheduled for April 7.
