National Strategy for Eye Care Act

An Act to establish a national strategy for eye care Preamble Whereas vision loss in Canada is associated with a number of causes, including macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy; Whereas millions of Canadians live with eye disease that could lead to vision loss or blindness if not treated; Whereas it is estimated that vision loss costs Canadians billions of dollars every year, both in financial costs and in loss of well-being; Whereas the loss of central vision can severely impact a person’s independence and quality of life; Whereas coordination and information sharing between the federal and provincial governments is needed to ensure new treatments are made available, to prevent and treat eye disease and to prevent health inequities among people with vision loss; And whereas Parliament considers that it is desirable to be proactive in the fight against vision loss and to implement a national strategy on eye care; Now, therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows: Short title This Act may be cited as the National Strategy for Eye Care Act. Development The Minister of Health must, in consultation with the representatives of the provincial governments responsible for health, Indigenous groups and other relevant stakeholders, develop a national strategy to support the prevention and treatment of eye disease, as well as vision rehabilitation, to ensure better health outcomes for Canadians. Content The national strategy must describe the various forms of eye disease and may include measures to identify the needs of health care professionals and other professionals in relation to training and guidance on the prevention and treatment of eye disease and on vision rehabilitation; promote research and improve data collection on eye disease prevention and treatment and on vision rehabilitation; promote information and knowledge sharing between the federal and provincial governments in relation to eye disease prevention and treatment and to vision rehabilitation; and ensure that the Minister is able to rapidly examine, in accordance with the Food and Drugs Act, certain applications and submissions in respect of devices and drugs, as those terms are defined in section 2 of that Act, that are intended for use in relation to eye disease, including macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. Considerations The national strategy must take into consideration existing frameworks, strategies and best practices related to the prevention and treatment of eye disease and to vision rehabilitation, including those that focus on addressing health inequalities. Conference For the purpose of developing the strategy, the Minister must hold at least one conference with the persons referred to in subsection (1). Tabling of strategy Within 18 months after the day on which this Act comes into force, the Minister of Health must prepare a report setting out the national strategy and cause it to be tabled in each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the report is completed. Publication The Minister must publish the report on the website of the Department of Health within 10 days after the day on which it is tabled in Parliament. Report Within five years after the report referred to in section 3 has been tabled in both Houses of Parliament, the Minister of Health must prepare a report on the effectiveness of the national strategy and on the state of eye disease prevention and treatment that also sets out the Minister’s conclusions and recommendations regarding the strategy. Tabling of report The Minister must cause the report to be tabled in each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the report is completed. Designation Throughout Canada, in each year, the month of February is to be known as “Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month”.