Canada’s Hidden Health Crisis: Over 1.25 Million Living with Lymphedema
Over 1.25 million Canadians—1 in 33—live with lymphedema, a chronic condition of permanent swelling. Despite its toll, it remains widely undiagnosed due to limited resources and systemic barriers. The Canadian Lymphedema Framework’s new data highlights urgent gaps in care, calling for equitable funding, more research, and greater public awareness to address this hidden health crisis.
- (1888PressRelease) December 06, 2024 - Imagine living with incurable swelling that impairs your ability to move, work, or enjoy life—and having no access to treatment. For up to 1.25 million Canadians this is their daily reality. Lymphedema, a chronic and debilitating condition causing permanent swelling, affects 1 in 33 Canadians, yet it remains widely undiagnosed and untreated due to systemic healthcare barriers.
The Canadian Lymphedema Framework (CLF) has released this staggering new prevalence data in their national publication, Pathways, shining a light on a neglected health crisis. Recently published research from 35 North American experts, including eight Canadians, highlights best practices for lymphedema diagnosis, treatment, and education. These findings, published in 13 research papers and consensus statements, will be featured in future issues of Pathways.
For many cancer survivors, as well as individuals with obesity, venous disease, or other chronic conditions, lymphedema poses significant physical, emotional, and socio-economic challenges. Left untreated, it can lead to repeated life-threatening infections and costly hospital admissions. Although effective management exists—including compression therapy, manual lymphatic drainage, exercise, and skin care—most Canadians cannot access care due to insufficient funding and a critical shortage of trained specialists.
Nationally in Canada, the lack of resources is glaring. The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in Quebec has been recognized as Canada’s only Centre of Excellence for lymphedema care and provides comprehensive lymphedema assessment, diagnosis, treatment, education, and research. However, the MUHC clinic also has a months-long waiting list for care and has recently come under threat of closure due to a sudden discontinuation of its funding.
The CLF calls for urgent action including equitable funding for both care and research, heightened public awareness, and a sustainable healthcare strategy to ensure no Canadian faces lymphedema alone.
About lymphedema: Lymphedema (lim-fa-DEE-ma) is a chronic condition that causes progressive, debilitating, and disfiguring swelling in one or more parts of the body. It can be hereditary or caused by surgery, physical trauma, infection, cancer treatment, radiation, obesity, vascular disease, and other chronic conditions.
About the CLF: The Canadian Lymphedema Framework is a national collaborative organization dedicated to advancing research, education, and care for those living with lymphedema. Their national publication, Pathways, is available both in print and online. Learn more at www.canadalymph.ca
Media Contact:
Bonnie Baker, Executive Director. The Canadian Lymphedema Framework
637-693-1083 | mediainquiries ( @ ) canadalymph dot ca
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