CDPAC vision and mission

The Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada (CDPAC) is a network of Canada’s major national, provincial and territorial health organizations that have come together around the common cause of promoting healthy living for the prevention of non-communicable diseases.

CDPAC’s mission is to work primarily at the national level to take an integrated, population health approach to influence policies and practices that will help prevent non-communicable diseases.

CDPAC’s vision is that Canadians will be supported by a comprehensive, sufficiently resourced, sustainable, and integrated system of research, surveillance, policies, and programs that promote healthy living for the prevention of non-communicable diseases.

CDPAC is a voluntary, unincorporated round-table alliance of organizations who provide strategic direction and oversight to CDPAC’s shared priorities for action on chronic disease prevention. The chair of the Alliance is Elizabeth Holmes (Canadian Cancer Society). The Alliance members are:

• Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention
• BC Healthy Living Alliance
• Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health
• Canadian Cancer Society
• Canadian Medical Association
• Canadian Men’s Health Foundation
• Canadian Nurses Association
• Diabetes Canada
• Dietitians of Canada
• Heart & Stroke
• The Kidney Foundation of Canada
• Ontario Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance
• YMCA Canada

CDPAC Alliance Members provide collaborative leadership in relation to setting positions, broad policy, strategic directions, expectations and limitations to authority of staff and work groups, allocation of resources, and reporting requirements.

Each Alliance Member acts as the liaison to their constituents, providing timely information on the activities of CDPAC and facilitating consultation as required to further the mandate of CDPAC.

CDPAC one-pager on mission/vision

History of CDPAC

The Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada (CDPAC) was constituted in 2001 to strengthen linkages among established, new and emerging chronic disease prevention initiatives in Canada. The idea of a national alliance emerged from the experience of many organizations in several initiatives.

In the summer of 2001, the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA), Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC) and Health Canada drafted a work plan for a two-year project. The work plan was discussed, revised and ratified by the group. At that time, the CCS, HSFC and CDA submitted a letter of intent for grant funding through the Voluntary Sector Initiative (VSI). In November 2001, these groups held a consultation with various stakeholder organizations across the country. 

With input from this meeting, a small Steering Committee was pulled together in 2002 to establish the mission, purpose, objectives and structure of the Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada. The founding members included:

• Canadian Cancer Society 
• Canadian Council for Tobacco Control
• Canadian Diabetes Association
• Canadian Public Health Association
• Coalition for Active Living
• Dietitians of Canada
• Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
• Public Health Agency of Canada

The Steering Committee has grown and evolved many times since its inception of 2002. A list of current members can be found here. 

In October 2013, CDPAC became a federally incorporated not-for-profit, and voted in its board of directors. In 2018, CDPAC returned to unincorporated status. 

Networks and groups

CDPAC is a proud supporting member of the Stop Marketing to Kids Coalition, a national coalition advocating for restrictions on food and beverage marketing to children and youth that launched February 24th 2016 at the Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada pan-Canadian conference. 

Co-led by Heart & Stroke and the Childhood Obesity Foundation, the Stop Marketing to Kids Coalition says the time has come to protect children and to support parents to make healthy decisions for their families. The coalition developed the Ottawa Principles, which outline the policy recommendation of restricting commercial marketing of all food and beverages to children and youth 16 and under. The restrictions would not apply to non-commercial marketing for valid public health education or public awareness campaigns. The Ottawa Principles also include a set of definitions, scope, and principles to guide policy development. 

More information about the coalition including the Ottawa Principles, and a mechanism for concerned Canadians to send their member of parliament a letter supporting restrictions on food and beverage marketing to kids, is available at the coalition website at www.stopmarketingtokids.ca.

Infographics

The following set of infographics explain chronic diseases including common risk factors for chronic disease, provide evidence on the scope and magnitude of chronic diseases in Canada, and demonstrate measures to promote healthy living and prevent chronic diseases. These infographics can be used to inform decision-makers about actions to support healthy living for chronic disease prevention.

CDPAC's Overview of Chronic Disease in Canada: Includes information on the most prevalent non-communicable chronic diseases, top risk factors for these diseases, and policy and individual measures to address them

• English
• French

CDPAC's Economic Impact of Chronic Disease in Canada: Includes information on the economic burden of chronic diseases in Canada from four key risk factors; how much money could be saved by modest reductions in key chronic disease risk factors; and selected policies, programs and research to support chronic disease prevention

• English
• French

From our partners:

• Health equity and the social determinants of health (Canadian Medical Association)
• The cost of poor men's health (Canadian Men's Health Foundation)